FULLERTON – Kaitlyn Maaske tossed a no-hitter in game one and Hope International utilized a big inning in game two to sweep the season-opening softball doubleheader against La Verne by scores of 4-0 and 4-1 on Saturday at Fullerton College.

The Royals handed first-year head coach Gabriela Sandoval her first two victories, getting solid pitching performances from Maaske, as well as Vivian Little and Samantha Elizalde.

Six different Royals drove in at least one run in a balanced hitting attack. Freshmen Aliyah Sandoval and Jocelyn Aguilar collected their first collegiate hits as Royals.

Game 1 – #21 Hope International 4, La Verne 0

Maaske, who led the Royals with 18 wins in 2025, started her sophomore season with an impressive performance in no-hitting the Leopards on 82 pitches.

She recorded 12 ground ball outs, five fly outs and four strikeouts, with her only blemishes a walk and hit by pitch in the first inning. With two runners aboard in the first, Maaske escaped trouble in getting Alexis Kiefer to ground out to end the inning.

Maaske picked up steam as the game wore on, tallying a strikeout in each of the last four innings.

The Royals got all the offense they needed with a run in the first against Leopard pitcher Briana Vasquez. Little led off with a triple to right field and came home on Lily Hernandez's RBI groundout.

HIU added an insurance run in the fourth. With two outs, Karlie Bilbrey reached first on a throwing error and took second on the play. Natalie Corrales then hit a hard shot that bounced off the La Verne shortstop, the ball bounding away and enabling Bilbrey to score from second for the 2-0 lead.

The Royals completed the scoring with a two-run sixth. Holmes led off with a single. Bilbrey reached for the second time following another error by the La Verne infield, putting a pair of runners aboard. Corrales loaded the bases with a base hit, and Aguilar plated a pair with a solid single to center field.

Maaske fanned Kiefer for the second time to polish off the no-hitter in the seventh.

#21 Hope International 4, La Verne 1

Little got the start and set the side down in order in the first. La Verne got its first hit of the afternoon as Brooke Petretti started the second with an infield single. But Little retired the next three Leopards to keep the game scoreless.

The Royals struck for four runs in the third, with Dejalei Visesio plating Little, who led off with a base hit, on an opposite field single. Holmes also singled to right field, bringing around Emma McCraw for a 2-0 HIU lead. McCraw's single chased La Verne starting pitcher Angelina Garcia in favor of Jaidlynn Alvarez.

Amanda Esquivel greeted Alvarez with a long double to center field which plated both Holmes and Visesio.

Little gave up a leadoff triple to Petretti in the fourth, followed by a Kiefer double as the Leopards cut the HIU lead to 4-1. But Little finished her afternoon by getting the next three outs, including a strikeout of Bryce Shroyer.

Elizalde made her Royal debut in the fifth, struggling with her command a bit as she walked a batter and plunked two additional hitters. But she escaped damage, helped by Visesio who nailed Julia Miramontes attempting to steal second for the second out of the inning. The Leopards had a pair of runners on, and Petretti singled to keep the inning going. But Kylee Knight stopped at third – and Aleiah Kupihea got caught up in between second and third, and was eventually tagged out in a rundown.

The Leopards had runners in scoring position in both the sixth and seventh innings as well, but could not cash in on the opportunities. 

Elizalde tossed three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and four walks.

The Royals return to action on Thursday, February 5 for a noon doubleheader against Nelson. The games will be played at Fullerton College.