April 9, 2009

Box Score

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - LMU (21-14, 6-1) scored 11 runs on 12 hits with two out in the game against San Francisco (15-19, 3-4) on Thursday to open a three-game West Coast Conference series. The Lions, who have now won 13 of their last 15 games, defeated the Dons by a count of 12-3 in the game.

LMU was led offensively by Jonathan Johnson. Johnson finished a perfect 5-for-5 with a double, a triple, two runs scored and two RBI. The triple was Johnson's sixth of the year, and of his career, placing him tied for sixth in the LMU All-Time Single Season Record Book. He needs three more to enter the Top-10 in career triples, but he has collected five in his last 15 games, including four in the last eight games. The five hits were the most since Ryan Hawthorne finished 5-for-6 out of the leadoff spot on April 4 versus Portland. Prior to that game, the last time a Lion had five hits was when A.J. LaMonda collected five on March 9, 2008 versus San Diego.

Three Lions collected home runs to help LMU to the victory, including homers from Ryan Wheeler, Shon Roe and T.J. Bernardy. Roe finished 3-for-4 with the round-tripper, a double, three runs scored and three RBI. The home run was his third of his career. Freshman Ryan Hawhorne was 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and a RBI. Hawthorne is now 18-for-49 (.367) with eight runs scored, four doubles, three walks and five RBI over a 10-game hitting streak. Wheeler, who was 2-for-4 with the home run, three runs scored and two RBI, has now hit safely in five straight games, that coming after having a 16-game hitting streak end against UCLA on April 1. Over the five-game hitting streak, Wheeler is 12-for-22 (.545) with 10 runs scored, five doubles, a triple, a home run, four walks, a stolen base and eight RBI, collecting multiple hits in each of the five contests, including three on two occasions. Wheeler has now hit safely in 21 of his last 22 games, batting .421 (40-for-95) with 27 runs scored, 14 doubles, a triple, two home runs, 20 RBI, 62 total bases and eight walks over the span. In addition to posting a perfect 5-for-5 mark in stolen bases, he has slugged .653 and reached base at a .481 rate. Junior Angelo Songco saw his 15-game hitting streak snapped after finishing 0-for-5 with two strikeouts. Songco had a 16-game hitting streak earlier this year, dating back to the end of the 2008 campaign. Over the 15 games, Songco batted .370 (20-for-54) with 19 runs scored, four doubles, five home runs, 14 walks, two stolen bases and 18 RBI.

Senior Lee Roberts was strong again as the lead starter for LMU, lasting seven innings and allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five batters to earn his fourth win of the year. This start included, Roberts has now amassed a 3.05 ERA and a 4-0 record in 56 innings of work. The right-hander has allowed just 21 runs (19 earned) and 18 walks while striking out 51 hitters. He has lasted at least six innings in six of his seven starts, striking out five or more batters in each of his starts this season. Jordan McClintick was the only Lion relief needed in the game, as he dealt two scoreless frames, surrendering one hit and striking out a batter along the way.

Drew Johnson and Dane Braunecker each collected two hits in the loss for San Francisco. Johnson finished 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk, while Braunecker was 2-for-3 with a RBI. Ryan Lipkin did the most damage for the Dons, collecting a two-run home run in USF's three-run fourth inning. Matt Lujan got the start and took the loss after pitching five and two-thirds innings and allowing seven runs on 10 hits and four walks. Garrett Luippold tossed a third of an inning before Cameron Love pitched the seventh inning and surrendered two runs on three hits. Bob Mott finished the game on the hill for USF, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out one batter.

San Francisco struck first in the game, plating two runs on one swing of the bat from Lipkin. Derek Poppert led the inning off with a single on a 1-1 pitch before Lipkin unloaded on a pitch to left field on the first pitch of the at bat. The home run, that cleared Mikos Blue Monster, was his second of the season. USF would add a third run in the frame as Johnson drew a walk in front of a Nik Balog single to put runners at first and second. Braunecker drove-in the run on the ensuing play, lining a ball off Wheeler's glove for a RBI-single.

The Lions evened the score at three runs apiece in the bottom of the fourth, benefiting from Bernardy's third career home run, a towering blast that cleared the wall in left field. After two quick outs, Roe reached with a four-pitch walk. Johnson followed with his second hit of the game before Bernardy contributed the round-tripper. Evan Simonitsch continued the inning with a drag-bunt single on the next pitch, and put himself in scoring position with a stolen base, but Lujan induced a fly ball for the final out.

LMU would take the lead in the fifth, posting two runs in the frame to hold a 5-3 advantage after five complete innings. Wheeler reached with a one-out walk before Brad Bauer singled two batters later. Roe contributed the RBI-single to right centerfield on the ensuing play before Johnson grounded a pitch past the third baseman to push home Bauer and cap the frame just one pitch later.

LMU extended the advantage to 8-3 with three runs in the sixth, highlighted by a two-run shot from Wheeler to right field. The rally would once again come with two out as Hawthorne singled to get the ball rolling. Spraker worked a full-count in the next at bat before lifting a triple off Mikos Blue Monster to push home the first run of the frame. After a pitching change that brought Luippold to the hill, Wheeler welcomed the reliever with a mammoth home run to right field to cap the frame.

Roe collected his second hit and RBI of the game with one out in the seventh, belting LMU's third home run of the game over the left centerfield wall, as LMU scored twice in the inning to go ahead 10-3. The home run was Roe's third of the season, and was the only Lion run to score with less than two out in the game. Johnson connected on a 1-1 pitch on the ensuing play, doubling to right field to precede a Bernardy hit-by-pitch to put two runners aboard. After the second out was recorded, Hawthorne doubled-home a run with a shot into the left centerfield gap to plate Johnson.

The Lions added two more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth en route to the 12-3 victory. Wheeler led things off with a single before stealing second base. After a strikeout and a ground ball to move Wheeler to third, LMU once again got a two-out hit and RBI. Roe doubled down the right field line to add the first tally before Johnson tripled down the right field line on the ensuing play to complete the Lion scoring.

The Lions and Dons will take Good Friday off from competition before returning to action on Saturday for a doubleheader starting at 11:00 a.m.