Feb. 9, 2003

Box Score

Berkeley, CA - The Loyola Marymount baseball team dropped its third consecutive game to California, 4-2 Sunday afternoon at Evans Diamond. The Lions drop to 0-3 on the season, while the Bears improved their record to 5-2.

After trailing 2-0 after the third inning, LMU tied the game in the top of the fourth. With one out, Lion freshman Kyle Mura reached base when a Brent Hale pitch hit him. Fellow freshman James Cooper also reached as Hale committed the first of three Bear errors in the contest. After a Hale balk, the third starting Lion freshman, Chris Pettit singled through the left side to drive in Mura.

Junior All-American Billy Lockin followed with a ground ball, but as Cal second baseman David Nicholson attempted to complete the double play, he too committed an error allowing Cooper to score, tying the game. Unfortunately, the Lion bullpen would once again succumb.

Lion relief pitcher Kyle Huddy hit Cal's Scott Cheo to open the eighth inning. The Bear's James Holder then sacrificed pinch runner Nick Medrano to second. The Lions followed with an intentional walk of Nicholson. After Nicholson and Medrano had a successful double steal, Ben Conley singled in the game-winning RBI's. Huddy (0-1, 1.2 innings, four hits, two runs, one walk, two strikeouts) earned the loss, while the winning pitcher for Cal was sophomore closer Jesse Ingram (2-0), who picked up his second win of the series, pitching the final 1.2 innings with two hits, no runs, one walk and four strikeouts.

Pettit went 2-for-4 with a triple and a RBI for LMU. Leading hitters for Cal were freshman shortstop Allen Craig (3-for-5, double) and sophomore first baseman James Holder (2-for-2, two doubles).

The Lions once again received a strong performance from their starting pitcher. Justin Abreu went five innings, allowing just five hits and two runs. The senior also had a strikeout and two walks.

LMU will next be in action when the Lions travel to USC to take on the third-ranked Trojans, Tuesday at 5 p.m.