April 25, 2009

Box Score

MORAGA, Calif. - LMU (25-20, 9-5) dropped game two of a three-game West Coast Conference series to Saint Mary's (24-20, 6-8) on Saturday by a count of 13-6 at Saint Mary's' Louis Guisto Field.

Senior Ollie Enos paced the Lion offense with three hits in the loss, finishing 3-for-5 with two doubles and a run scored. Senior Kyle Spraker and junior Ryan Wheeler each collected two hits and two RBI, with Wheeler belting his sixth home run of the season in the loss. Ryan Hawthorne and T.J. Bernardy also collected a pair of hits for LMU.

Senior Ernie Cho got the start and lasted two and a third innings, allowing six runs on six hits and three walks while striking out three batters. He fell to 2-5 on the season. Ramiro Carreon was the first of three relievers used in the game, tossing two and two-thirds, surrendering six runs on seven hits and a walk before Jordan McClintick contributed two innings and allowed a run. Freshman Jason Wheeler was the final LMU pitcher used in the game, throwing a scoreless eighth inning.

Ryan Mulligan helped Saint Mary's to the victory with a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate, adding two runs scored. Troy Channing, who leads the WCC in batting average, RBI and home runs, belted his 16th home run of the season, a grand slam, in the six-run second inning. He finished 2-for-3 with the homer, a run scored, two walks and six RBI. The six RBI were the most since Jose Valerio collected six for San Diego on March 27, 2008. Cory Miller fell a home run shy of the cycle in the victory. Hitting out of the leadoff spot in the order, Miller went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, three runs scored and two RBI. Anthony Aliotti also homered in the game, contributing his sixth of the season.

Scott Schneider got the start and earned the victory after tossing five innings and allowing four runs on 11 hits and two walks while striking out seven batters. Alex Schmarzo, a hard-throwing right-hander, contributed three innings and surrendered just two runs (both on Wheeler's home run) before Taylor Reid retired the side in the ninth inning to seal the lopsided affair.

LMU struck first in the game with one run in the top of the second, but unfortunately for LMU, that would the only lead it would hold all game. Enos doubled to start the frame before a sacrifice bunt from Shon Roe moved him to third. Jonathan Johnson followed with a RBI-single on the ensuing play, giving LMU the early lead.

Saint Mary's came unglued in the bottom of the inning, scoring six times to take a 6-1 lead after two. Three straight singles resulted in a run before Miller doubled-in the second run of the frame two batters later. After the Gaels loaded the bases, Channing quickly unloaded them with a mammoth blast to straight-away centerfield to cap the scoring run.

The Lions would add three runs in the fourth to cut the deficit to two, but Saint Mary's responded quickly with two runs of its own in the bottom of the fourth. Singles by Roe, Bernardy and Evan Simonitsch loaded the bases, preceding a Hawthorne RBI-single to left field to push home the first run and leave the bases loaded for Spraker. The senior third baseman took advantage of the opportunity, lacing a two-RBI single into left field to cut the lead to 6-4.

The two-run deficit didn't last long as back-to-back singles got things going in the bottom of the fourth. After a sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third, Channing contributed the clutch two-RBI single in the very next at bat. The Gaels went on to score four more runs in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by a Miller RBI-triple and a two-run shot from Aliotti.

LMU refused to surrender in the game, posting two more runs in the top of the sixth on Wheeler's towering blast over the wall in right field with a man aboard. Just as they did in innings before, the Gaels answered for runs in the bottom of the frame. This time it was a single and a stolen base from pinch-hitter Markus Melgosa that set the table for a Ryan Young sacrifice fly later in the inning.

After going 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh, LMU managed to put a runner on in each of the last two innings, but that was all the offense it could muster the rest of the way en route to falling to Saint Mary's.

LMU and the Gaels will conclude the three-game series tomorrow with a rubber-match slated for 1:00 p.m. Freshman Alex Gillingham (3-2, 5.36) is scheduled to start for the Lions, opposed by right-hander Nathan Gonzales (3-1, 3.38) for Saint Mary's.