April 17, 2003

Box Score

Los Angeles, Calif. - Loyola Marymount scored seven runs in the first five innings and held on for 7-5 victory over Gonzaga, Thursday afternoon at Page Stadium. LMU raised its record to 22-17 overall, 9-7 in the West Coast Conference, while the Bulldogs dropped their fourth consecutive game, falling to 15-20-1, 4-11 in the league.

Catcher Jonathan Higashi, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, once again led the Lions. Billy Lockin and Joe Frazee both had a pair of base hits and two runs scored for LMU, while Bulldog catcher Sam Hess went 3-for-4 with two runs. Gonzaga's Danny Evans and Chris Sinner also had three hits and drove in a run.

LMU's Vincent Cordova earned the victory, upping his mark to 5-3 on the season. The junior threw 6.2 innings and scattered 14 hits, while allowing four runs. He struckout and walked two.

The Lions took the early lead with a pair of runs in the first inning. After Frazee singled and stole second with one out, Higashi hammered a base hit back up the middle to score him. Sean Smith followed with a single of his own to plate Higashi, handing LMU a 2-0 lead.

Gonzaga answered with single runs in the top of the second and third innings, as Sinner and Jeff Culpepper drove in Hess and Eric Rodland, respectively.

After Bulldog starting pitcher Patrick Donovan retired the first batter in the bottom of the third inning, the next four Lions reached base to retake a 4-2 lead. The frame was highlighted by Lockin's eighth double of the season.

Back-to-back doubles by Nick Froman and Rodland with two outs in the top of the fourth inning inched Gonzaga to within one run at 4-3. But the Lions extended their advantage in the bottom of the frame.

LMU's Carl Stoeber, James Cooper and Chris Pettit led off the inning with consecutive base hits, before Frazee and Higashi delivered RBI knocks to up LMU's advantage to 7-3. The hit barrage chased Donovan, who was charged with the loss, from the game. Donovan dropped to 1-4 on the season, lasting just three innings, while allowing six runs on six hits.

From there the LMU bullpen took over, as Gonzaga left 14 runners on base. Junior Joshua Muecke relieved Cordova and threw 1.2 innings, allowing just one run on two hits. Lion freshman Stephen Kahn came on to strikeout a pair of batters to pick up his team-leading sixth save of the year.

The two teams will complete their series on Saturday, with an 11 a.m. doubleheader.