Lady Warriors Softball Drop Two Games in Regular Season Opening Day

The Nelson Lady Warriors opened their 2026 softball season with a tough doubleheader sweep at the hands of the Hope International Royals, falling 4-1 in the opener and 9-3 in the afternooncap on a picture-perfect Opening Day in Fullerton, CA. With temperatures peaking in the low 80s, a light overcast keeping the air crisp and cool, and the faint promise of spring rains in the breeze, the conditions were ideal for a fresh start, although the Royals proved too much on this afternoon.

Game 1: Hope International 4, Nelson 1
The opener remained a tense pitchers' duel through four innings, scoreless and locked in a defensive battle. Hope finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth, stringing together a three-run rally. Gabriela Holmes opened the frame with a sharp double to center field, before Natalie Corrales followed with an RBI double to plate her. Next, Jocelyn Aguilar delivered an RBI single, before Vivian Little capped the outburst with an RBI double of her own to make the score 3-0.

Never willing to go down without a fight, the Lady Warriors responded immediately in the top of the sixth. Leadoff hitter Amber Lopez reached base, was advanced into scoring position, and came home on a Vanessa Philpot single to cut the deficit to 3-1. Unfortunately, Hope answered right back with a run in the bottom half to restore the three-run cushion, and that was all the scoring the Royals would need.

Nelson managed just six hits in the contest but showed patience and discipline at the plate, although strong pitching from Kelly Katalbas who pitched a complete game, and solid defense kept the Royals at the same six-hit tally. Katalbas allowed 3 earned runs on six hits, one walk and one strikeout, needing only 66 pitches to get through the outing.

Game 2: Hope International 9, Nelson 3
The afternooncap started with promise for Nelson. Estevannie Rojas opened the bottom of the second with a hit-by-pitch, then immediately stole second, and advanced to third on a throwing error. Vanessa Philpot followed with an infield bunt single that plated Rojas for an early 1-0 lead, an exciting bunt to the front of the plate that the Hope catcher could not recover and take Rojas to make the put out in time.

The Royals managed to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning, where the score remained knotted until the top of the fourth when the Warriors broke through for two more runs: Charli York scored on a sac fly from Amber Lopez, and Adenira Marquez came home on a fielding error, giving the club a 3-1 cushion.

Unfortunately, the Royals refused to fade. They responded immediately in the bottom of the fourth with three runs to reclaim the lead, then exploded for five more in the bottom of the sixth—highlighted by a Lily Hernandez two-run triple—to blow the game open.

Both teams played sloppily at times, combining for seven errors that contributed to a plethora of unearned runs. Of the 12 total runs scored, only three were earned against the starting pitchers. Nelson again managed just six hits, with no player recording multiple knocks for the second straight game. Emily Quigg, Charli York, and Vanessa Philpot finished as the team's top contributors across both contests, each collecting two combined hits on the day.

Up next for the Lady Warriors is a double-header at La Sierra, before a double-header at Westcliff University on Saturday, February 7. The club returns home where they will kick off the home portion of the schedule with a double-header against the College of Idaho on Thursday February 12, at the Rose Mofford Sports Complex.