April 1, 2005

Box Score

Moraga, Calif. - LMU baseball pushed runs across in five innings, including home runs off the bats of seniors Joe Frazee and Evan Shahak, en route to the 8-1 win over Saint Mary's (9-15, 4-6 WCC) in game one of the three-game West Coast Conference series in Moraga. Junior Jeff Stevens had another strong conference outing for the Lions (10-15, 4-2 WCC) Friday, working over seven innings and striking out eight.

The Lions never trailed, as they tallied nine hits and scored in five innings behind Stevens' strong effort. The win keeps the Lions atop the Coast Division in the WCC standings at 4-2.

Frazee got his first home run of the season as the first batter of the game, taking the 0-2 pitch over the fence in right to give the Lions the early 1-0 lead.

After allowing a leadoff single, Stevens stranded the Gaels' Mike Sansoe by getting Cody Nelson to fly out and striking out Bryan Byrne and Sam Carter.

The Lions put up the second run of the game in the top of the fourth when SMC starter Kevin Trochez hit James Cooper to leadoff the inning. Cooper stole second and advanced to third on the throwing error by catcher Stefan Foushee. Senior Jon Oller's single through the left side then scored Cooper to give LMU the 2-0 lead.

While the Lions' offense was working to extend their lead, Stevens was in the middle of retiring nine straight batters between the second and fifth innings. His first walk of the game ended the streak in the fifth.

Shahak added to the run support for Stevens in the sixth with a solo home run over the fence in right center to make it 3-0. It was the second home run of the season for the Lions' designated hitter. Along with Frazee's home run, Friday marked the first game the Lions connected for a home run since the March 15 game against Cal State Northridge at Page Stadium.

Stevens held the Gaels scoreless until the seventh inning when they pushed across one run on three hits to make it 3-1.

But the LMU offense fired back, answering with two runs in the top of the eighth on a double by Shahak and a single by Oller.

Stevens and freshman Andy Beal shared the pitching duties in the bottom of the eighth, and stranded two runners when Beal struckout Delaney Gallagher and ended the inning with a fly out to center to keep it a 5-1 Lion lead.

Freshman Eric Farris recorded his first career hit in the form of a double down the left field line in the top of the ninth. Farris found his way into the Lions' starting lineup earlier in the week after missing February and part of March with a broken hamate bone. After a stolen base and a passed ball off the glove of SMC catcher J.P. Musgrove, Farris scored to extend the lead to five. Senior Matt White's pinch-hit single up the middle brought in LaMonda and Pettit, who had walked earlier in the inning to give the Lions a three-spot in the ninth.

Stevens picked up his second win of the season and improved to 2-4 after working 7.1 innings. The junior right-hander allowed just one run on five hits while walking just three. His eight strikeouts in just over seven innings was one shy of his career high of nine.

Trochez suffered the loss for the Gaels and fell to 3-3 after allowing three runs on five hits over seven innings.

Frazee missed hitting for the cycle by only a triple, a statistical category in which the senior ranks sixth all-time in the Lion record books with 10 career triples. He finished the day 3-for-5.

Shahak and Oller each went 2-for-4 with two RBI for the Lions.

The Lions and Gaels continue the three-game WCC series Saturday, with first pitch slated for 1:00 p.m.

-GO LIONS-