College baseball: VU earns berth in playoffs

- AZUSA - Vanguard University sophomore Chad Chop belted a grand

slam in the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie and help the visiting Lions

earn split with Azusa Pacific in a Golden State Athletic Conference

baseball doubleheader Saturday.

Chop’s blast, his ninth homer of the season, propelled the Lions

((27-18, 14-13 in conference) to an 8-6 triumph, after losing the opening

game, 16-9.

With the split, Coach Kevin Kasper’s squad clinched a berth in the

four-team NAIA regional playoffs, which begin May 9 in La Mirada.

Chop’s round tripper was one of just six hits in Game 2 for the Lions

in, who added three insurance runs in the sixth, then held off the

Cougars (31-9, 17-9), ranked No. 11 in the NAIA.

Vanguard freshman right-hander Marcus Harris allowed one hit in five

innings to earn the victory, improving to 8-3.

In the first game, Vanguard had five of the game’s nine doubles, but

APU had both homers and 23 hits to prevail.

Chop, senior Jeremy Isherwood and junior Andy Riddell each had two

hits to fueld the Lions’ 13-hit attack in Game 1.

GOLDEN STATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

First game

Azusa Pacific 16, Vanguard 9

Vanguard 022 000 014 - 9 13 0

Azusa Pacific 250 113 22x - 16 23 1

McKaig, Williams (5), Griggs (6), Butler (8) and Garner; Palumbo,

Newell (7), Sanchez (9), Underwood (9), Fogel (9) and Sullivan, Wiewel

(8). W - Palumbo, 8-0. L - McKaig, 0-3. 2B - Riddell (VU), Soto (AP),

David (VU), Baeder (VU), Morlet (AP), Johnson (AP), Philo (AP), Isherwood

(VU), Garner (VU). HR - Ordorica (AP), Amburos (AP).

Second game

Vanguard 8, Azusa Pacific 6

Vanguard 001 043 0 - 8 6 1

Azusa Pacific 000 103 2 0 6 10 0 Harris, Walker (6) and Garner; Pazzulla, Padilla (5), Barnes (5),

Litchfield (6) and Sullivan, Echelbarger (7). HR - Chop (VU), Soto (AP).