March 7, 2003
Final Stats
Los Angeles, Calif. - UC Santa Barbara scored four runs in the top of the 11th inning to down Loyola Marymount 6-2, Friday afternoon at Page Stadium. LMU's Jonathan Oller went 3-for-4 on the day as the Lions dropped to 9-6. The Gauchos were led by third baseman Nate Sutton who went 4-for-6, lifting UCSB to 10-9 on the season.
It was just the Lions second home loss of the season (7-2) and just the second setback in their last 11 games.
The Gauchos threatened in the third inning with leadoff singles by Matt Stevens and Sutton, but a double play and a line drive to LMU shortstop Billy Lockin, allowed Lion starting pitcher Vincent Cordova to escape the frame unscathed.
UCSB starting pitcher tried to return the favor in the bottom of the third by hitting both Joe Frazee and Oller with pitches, but was able to induce Jonathan Higashi into a fly ball to escape as well.
The Lions were able break through in the fourth inning as Carl Stoeber led off the frame with a single. With two outs, freshman Kyle Mura provided a RBI infield single to score Stoeber, giving the Lions a 1-0 lead.
LMU upped its advantage to 2-0 in the fifth inning as Higashi brought Frazee home on a sacrifice fly. The two runs weren't enough as the Gauchos answered with two runs in the sixth inning.
UCSB's Matt Wilkerson's led off the stanza with a single. After a throwing error by Higashi from behind the plate, the Gauchos had runners at first and third base. A RBI single by Bill Rowe and a sacrifice fly by Chad Ziemendorf tied the game. Cordova was able to pick off Rowe at first base and strikeout Brian Adams to end the inning.
Cordova did not figure into the decision, pitching 7.1 innings. He struckout nine, without a walk, while allowing just one earned run.
The Gauchos nearly took the lead in the top of the ninth. UCSB had runners at first and second with just one out, but LMU relief pitcher Jeff Stevens was able to get the Gauchos' Josh Fulton and Stevens to fly out to Frazee in centerfield.
LMU's Stevens finally allowed a run in the top of the 11th inning. UCSB's Rowe led off the frame with a single to leftfield. Ziemendorf followed with a sacrifice bunt, before Chris Caraballo singled home Rowe, handing the Gauchos a 3-2 advantage. The next four Gauchos reached base to blow the game open as UCSB scored four runs in the frame.
Stevens was charged with the loss to drop to 2-1 on the season, while UCSB's Steve Morlock earned the victory to go to 3-2.
The Lions will once again host UCSB, Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. The final game of the series will be Sunday at 1 p.m.
