La Sierra

COSTA MESA — Coming off a 34-20 season in which the Vanguard University baseball team was at various times, 15-1, 19-2 and 25-5, the bar has been raised for Coach Ralph Grajeda's Lions. But it took all of one game to equal the biggest margin of victory achieved by the 2010 unit, as Vanguard trounced visiting La Sierra, 15-0, in the nonconference season opener Tuesday. Only once did last year's Lions produce a 15-run win, in a Feb. 20 shutout at home against Bethany College.

COSTA MESA — The Vanguard University women's volleyball team came so close to delivering a big upset Tuesday night in Golden State Athletic Conference women's volleyball. But the Lions could not hold a lead late in the fifth set and fell to visiting Concordia, 26-24, 21-25, 25-20, 22-25, 15-12, in their home conference opener at "The Pit. " Concordia is ranked No. 2 nationally in the NAIA; Vanguard is unranked. The visiting Eagles rallied from a 12-11 deficit in the fifth set, winning the last four points of the match on two kills and two errors by the Lions.

WOMEN’S SOFTBALL Vanguard 4, La Sierra 1 Vanguard 6, La Sierra 0 COSTA MESA — Stephanie Leisenring went a combined four for six with three runs batted in, helping the Lions sweep Friday’s nonconference doubleheader. Melissa Forrester went the distance in the opening game for Vanguard, which improved to 7-5. Forrester (2-1) struck out nine and allowed one run on six hits. Katharine Jablonski started the second game and went five innings, improving to 3-1. WOMEN’S TENNIS Vanguard 9, Biola 0 COSTA MESA — Gabriela Bergmanova won in No. 1 singles and No. 2 doubles play as the Lions swept the Golden State Athletic Conference match Friday.

Four different Orange Coast College players scored goals and the team recorded its second straight shutout, a 4-0 victory over visiting Glendale on Friday afternoon in nonconference play. Goalkeeper Trent Painter made four saves for the win. Painter hasn't given up a goal in 227 minutes. Chris Dunckel opened the scoring nine minutes into the game thanks to assists from Joel Walker and Matt Brummett. Eric Nutter scored the second goal on an assist from Scott Locken and Walker.

Steve Virgen At Corona del Sol High in Tempe, Ariz., Lindsay McClellan used to start every game and earned all-state honors four years. She also helped lead her team to a state championship. Things are a bit different at Vanguard University, but McClellan is adjusting. The freshman guard came off the bench to provide a spark, scoring 14 points in the Lions' 93-65 women's basketball victory over Pikeville in the Golden State Athletic Conference Challenge Monday at the Pit. The GSAC Challenge is a six-team invitational that includes five squads that reached the NAIA tournament last season.

Steve Virgen Fresh off its 66-52 season-opening victory at San Diego State, the Vanguard University women's basketball team seemed determined to build off that win. The Lions did so on the scoreboard and on the stat sheet, but their coach, Russ Davis, said he did not see his team play to its full potential, though it won, 102-47, over nonconference visitor La Sierra Saturday. "I didn't think we looked that good," Davis said. "We only played, really, about 15 minutes of good basketball.

COSTA MESA -- Vanguard University's women's basketball team turned it on at the start of the second half with a 22-0 run to expand the lead to 58-22 en route to an 86-51 nonconference victory over visiting La Sierra Wednesday night. The Lions, now 8-4, were paced by the double-digit scoring of Courtney McKinney (23), Laura Lee (19), Robbin Dittenbir (17) and Paulette Seaman (15) en route to the blowout. Dittenbir led the way in rebounding with 10 boards.

COLLEGE WOMEN Nonconference Vanguard 86, La Sierra 51 La Sierra -- Meng 10, Hester 2, Ivancie 6, Hebert 15, Davies 2, Harvey 6, Bohannon 4, Valle 4, Duffield 2. 3-pt. goals -- Hebert 1, Harvey 1. Fouled out -- Davies. Technicals -- none. Vanguard -- Mills 6, Lee 19, Seaman 15, Wilcox 0, Dittenbir 17, J.Lenderman 5, C. Lenderman 0, McKinney 23, Griffo 1. 3-pt. goals -- Lee 5, Mills 2, Seaman 2, Dittenbir 1, J. Lenderman 1. Fouled out -- Mills.