April 11, 2008

Box Score

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - LMU (17-16, 3-4) dropped a slugfest against Saint Mary's (18-12-1, 3-4), 14-9, on Friday in game one of a three-game West Coast Conference Series being played at LMU's Page Stadium. The Lions have now lost four straight conference games after sweeping Portland to start WCC play.

Sophomores Angelo Songco and Ryan Wheeler led the Lion offense on the day, each finishing with three hits. Songco batted 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a double, two RBI and a walk to extend his current hitting streak to four games. Wheeler, who has now hit safely in three straight games and 10 of his last 11, contributed a 3-for-5 day at the plate, collecting two doubles, a run scored and three RBI. The native of Torrance, Calif. has now collected multiple hits in nine of his last 11, and 11 of his last 14 games. Seniors Sean Dovel and Andy Preston rounded-out the top performers at the plate, finishing with two hits apiece. Dovel batted 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and two RBI. Preston finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a RBI and a walk.

Junior Mike Kenney got the Friday start, lasting three innings and allowing six runs (four earned) on seven hits and one walk en route to taking his third loss of the season. Junior Lee Roberts was first out of the Lion bullpen, contributing three innings and surrendering four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out two batters before giving way to Nate Keadle. The senior right-hander took the ball for the next inning and gave up a run on three hits and struck out one batter. Freshman Chris Eusebio turned in an inning and two-thirds of work, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out three batters before Jeremy Burrell retired the final hitter in the top of the ninth to finish the game on the hill for LMU.

Left fielder Kyle Jensen led all hitters on the day, batting a perfect 4-for-4 with two home runs, two walks, five runs scored and five RBI. The home runs were his 10th and 11th of the season. Daniel Alcaire was also perfect at the plate, finishing 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI. Scott Schneider batted 3-for-5 with a triple and a run scored, while Cory Miller batted 3-for-5 with a triple and three runs scored out of the leadoff spot. Anthony Aliotti also turned in a fantastic day at the plate, going 2-for-6 with two runs scored, a double and a RBI.

Right-hander Brian Justice got the start and the victory to improve to 3-1 after tossing six innings and allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits and four walks while recording three strikeouts. Alex Schmarzo lasted one inning in relief, surrendering three runs on three hits before giving way to Jimmy Munill. Munill finished the game on the hill for Saint Mary's, tossing two frames and allowing only one hit and striking out four Lion batters.

Saint Mary's got on the board first in the game, plating two runs on one swing of the bat. Miller got the ball rolling with a leadoff bunt single on the first pitch of the game. A wild pitch and a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third before Miller was thrown out at the plate on the ensuing play, leaving a runner at first and two out in the inning. Jensen came up clutch in the very next at bat, blasting a mammoth home run to left centerfield to drive in the two runs for the Saint Mary's.

The Lions wasted no time answering back to take the lead, scoring three times in the bottom of the first to earn a 3-2 advantage. A leadoff walk to A.J. LaMonda got the inning started before Kyle Spraker reached on an error to put runners at first and second. Preston followed with a single to right field to load the bases before Songco doubled to left field to drive in two Lion runs. Dovel wasted no time giving LMU the lead, singling on the ensuing play to drive in Preston from third. Justice did a nice job of settling down after the three runs, recording a strikeout and a double play to retire the side.

LMU was back at it again in the bottom of the second, posting one run on one hit to extend the lead to 4-2. A one-out walk to LaMonda started the ball in the right direction, as he moved to second on a groundout off the bat of Spraker. Preston followed with his second hit of the day, a RBI-single to drive in LaMonda from second base.

The Gaels regained the lead in the top of the third after scoring four runs in the frame. Miller picked up his second hit of the day, tripling into the left centerfield gap, as LaMonda slid in an attempt to catch it on the fly, to start the inning. A walk put runners at the corners before Kenney recorded the strikeout for the first out of the inning. Back-to-back RBI-singles by Jensen and Aliotti drove in the first two runs of the frame before a throwing error on a bunt attempt by Kenney put runners at the corners and drove in the third Gael run. Justin Fazio drove in the final run of the frame with a RBI-groundout on the ensuing play to bring home Aliotti, running the score to 6-4.

Saint Mary's put two more runs on the board in the fifth to extend the lead to 8-4 before the Lions answered back for two of their own in the bottom half of the frame. Aliotti doubled to put runners at second and third for Saint Mary's before Alcaire contributed a two-RBI double to cap the scoring for the Gaels. Preston got the bottom of the inning started with a walk before moving to second on a Songco single to centerfield. Dovel bunted the runners to second and third on the ensuing play before Wheeler contributed the two-RBI single to run the tally to 8-6 in favor of Saint Mary's.

The Gaels quickly answered back after trading the two runs in the fifth, scoring two more in the top of the sixth and one in the seventh to open up a 11-6 lead headed into the bottom half of the seventh. Randy Wells and Alcaire contributed RBI-singles in the sixth before Schneider's triple and a Brian Hawkins single teamed to plate the run in the seventh.

The Lions responded well in the bottom of the frame, cutting the lead to 11-9 with three runs in the inning. Songco got the inning started with his third hit of the day before scoring on the ensuing play when Dovel drove a pitch into the right centerfield gap for a double. Wheeler followed suit with a double of his own, ripping a line drive down the right field line to push home Dovel. After a wild pitch moved Wheeler to third, Michael Glomb picked up the RBI with a groundout to shortstop to cap the frame.

The Gaels refused to surrender any momentum, plating a single run in the top of the eighth. Jensen singled to start the inning before stealing second an out later. Alcaire followed with a single to put runners at the corners before Fazio contributed the RBI-single to left field on a 0-2 pitch.

Saint Mary's added two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth, both coming on Jensen's second home run of the game. Miller was hit by a pitch before a sacrifice and a groundout moved him to third with two down to bring Jensen to the plate. The left fielder jumped on the first pitch he saw in the at bat, sending it deep over the wall in left centerfield.

The Lions and Gaels will continue this three-game West Coast Conference series tomorrow at 1 p.m. Senior Andy Beal will get the start for the Lions, opposed by right-hander Brandon Berl for the Gaels.