FULLERTON – The 21st-ranked Hope International softball team improved to 4-0 on Thursday following a doubleheader sweep of visiting Nelson, winning by scores of 4-1 and 9-3 at Fullerton College.

Sophomore Kaitlyn Maaske earned her second complete game victory following her no-hitter in the season opener versus La Verne. Freshman Samantha Elizalde notched her first collegiate win after tossing a complete game in the nightcap.

Emma McCraw went 4-for-6 with a run scored and two RBI in the doubleheader. Lily Hernandez drove in three runs in game two and Vivian Little was 3-for-6 with a pair of RBI across the two games.

#21 Hope International 4, Nelson 1

Maaske allowed a leadoff single to Briyanei Celaya, a dribbler in front of home plate, to start the game. She then retired the next 13 batters before Charli York laced an opposite field single with one out in the fifth inning.

Nelson hurler Kelly Katalbas was equally effective through the first four innings, with McCraw the only Royal to solve her. The HIU first baseman had a two-out first inning single and walked in the fourth. In between, Katalbas set down eight consecutive Royals, and got an inning-ending double play to erase McCraw in the fourth.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when the Royals struck for three runs. Gabriela Holmes led off with a ground rule double over the center field wall. Karlie Bilbrey sacrificed Holmes to third – and with two outs – Natalie Corrales doubled to the left field wall to score Holmes for the 1-0 lead.

Jocelyn Aguilar followed with an RBI single to plate Corrales, who had advanced to third on the previous play due to a throwing error by the Nelson left fielder. 

Little made it 3-0 as she roped a double to right center, scoring Aguilar all the way from first.

The Warriors trimmed their deficit to 3-1 in the sixth as Vanessa Philpot's RBI single plated Amber Lopez.

The Royals pulled the run right back in the bottom half after McCraw got aboard on a fielding error. Dejalei Visesio singled to put two runners aboard, and both runners advanced a base after Holmes sacrificed them over.

Aliyah Sandoval knocked in McCraw on a sacrifice fly to left as HIU led 4-1.

The Warriors made it interesting in the top of the seventh, putting runners on first and second with two outs. But Maaske retired Lopez on a fly out to left, as she improved to 2-0 on the season. Maaske did not walk a batter and struck out three.

Katalbas took the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) and six hits in 6.0 innings.

#21 Hope International 9, Nelson 3

Elizalde gave up a tough run in the second after hitting Estevannie Rojas with a pitch. Rojas stole second, and scored on the play as a throwing error from the catcher sprayed into the outfield. Elizalde hit her second batter of the inning and Philpot singled as the Warriors had a pair on the basepaths. A wild pitch moved both runners up a base with no outs.

But Elizalde escaped further damage as she got Catalina Sanchez to pop out, then fanned the next two Nelson hitters.

HIU tied the score at 1-1 in the bottom half. Sandoval singled with one out and moved to third on Breanna Lucero's double to left field. However, the left fielder's throw into the infield ended up in the Nelson dugout, allowing Sandoval to score.

Nelson took a 3-1 lead in the fourth after loading the bases with one out. Lopez's fly ball to left sent York home on a tag play. Holmes uncorked a throw from left that beat the runner by several feet, but the ball skipped off the catcher's mitt for an error. With runners on second and third, Celaya's ground ball was misplayed for another error and the second Warrior run of the inning.

The Royals broke through on Nelson pitcher Araeya Cosay with three runs in the fourth. Three straight Royals got aboard via two singles and a walk with no outs. With one out, Little knocked in Sandoval with an RBI single. Hernandez's grounder brought in Bilbrey to tie the score at 3-3, and McCraw gave HIU the 4-3 lead with an RBI single to left.

Elizalde kept the Warrior bats quiet for the final three innings, and got all the insurance she needed as HIU struck for five runs in the fifth.

The big blow was a two-RBI triple down the right field line by Hernandez. McCraw and Holmes also dumped RBI singles into center to plate another pair of runs.

Elizalde completed the game by getting the final two outs via ground out and pop out, stranding Emily Quigg at third.

HIU heads to the OC Great Park on Friday to square off against Westcliff in a 4:00 p.m. doubleheader.