Costa Mesa, Calif. – It was a long weekend, but the Buccaneers softball team took the final game of a six-game weekend. After seeing their six game winning streak snapped by the Lions of Vanguard University during non-conference action in the first of a doubleheader on Monday afternoon 2-0, the bats got to work in an 8-5 victory.
Both teams struggled to put runs on the board throughout the first game. The Lions saw success in the bottom of the third when Kaylie Williams hit a single that sent MacKenzie Hofmann through home.
Brianna Williams, fresh off a no-hitter against conference rival San Diego Christian, continued her solid stretch as she kept the Buccaneers to just two hits while striking out eight. In fact, aside from the leadoff single from Corrales and fifth inning single from Danielle Farinas, Williams failed to allow a single Buccaneer to reach base.
Andrea Connor finished off the scoring with a double base hit, allowing Tiffany Pope to give the Lions their second run of the game.
The two stars in the circle for the Buccaneers this year got to work together for the 8-5 victory in game two, with Mariah Martinez earning the win and Abril Nerey getting the save.
Danielle Farinas notched her 29th RBI of the season as she drove in leadoff batter Ledezma Romero to open up the scoring in the top of the first. The Lions answered in the bottom half, tacking on a run on an RBI single to tie the game at one.
The Bucs added another in the third on a triple from Martinez, helping out her own cause with the RBI. However, Vanguard answered once again, this time taking the lead for the first time in the game on a two-run double. They then added onto the lead in the fourth, putting the Bucs down 4-2 entering the fifth inning.
Farinas put herself squarely into second in the California Pacific conference in RBI with her 30th of the season, loading the bases for Mariah Martinez to once again help herself out at the plate. And help herself out she did; the Mesa, Ariz. native left her mark in Costa Mesa with a two-run single, capitalizing once again and giving the Buccaneers a 5-4 lead.
Martinez continued throwing well, and was replaced by Nerey with two outs in the sixth. While Nerey did give up a run credited to Martinez, she was able to navigate out of the jam in the sixth inning. Natalie Castro and Raylissa Garcia then added insurance in the top half of the seventh, giving Nerey the momentum to close out the victory in the bottom half on three straight batters.
The Buccaneers return to the valley to play the Firestorm of Arizona Christian University on March 5, with the start time scheduled for 5 p.m.
