Vanguard wins GSAC softball tournament

SOFTBALL

Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament

Host Vanguard University, the conference regular-season champion and the No. 1 seed, defeated No. 3-seeded William Jessup twice on Thursday to claim the conference tournament crown.

The Lions topped the visitors, 6-2, early in the afternoon to force the deciding game in the double-elimination format. They won the final game, 1-0.

Vanguard (46-13) scored the game-winner in the fifth inning of the final game, when Emily Howard’s single up the middle drove in Morgan Pilbin. Pilbin opened the inning with a bunt single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brittany Heinle.

Pilbin was two for three to lead the Lions’ five-hit attack.

Vanessa Dwyer allowed two hits in the complete-game shutout to improve to 17-6.

In the first game, Payton Ross was three for three with three runs and two runs batted in, while Samantha Shaffer was two for three with three RBIs for the Lions.

Taylor Wilson was two for three for Vanguard, for which Kolbi Tonini allowed four hits in seven shutout relief innings to earn the win and improve to 10-3.

Vanguard will be one of 10 host sites for the opening round of the NAIA Tournament, May 15-17.