Box Score March 13, 2010
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LOS ANGELES, Calif. - LMU (3-10) was held hitless through the first six and a third innings en route to dropping a 13-5 decision to Cal State Northridge (8-5) on Saturday at LMU's Page Stadium. LMU scored all five of its runs in the eighth inning.
CSUN starter Paul Tremlin held a perfect game through two out in the fourth inning when Ridge Carpenter dropped a fly ball for an error to allow Ryan Hawthorne to reach. Tremlin did not lose focus from there, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh. The Lions managed to post two hits in that inning, but Tremlin finished with seven scoreless innings pitched and allowed just the two hits while striking out seven. He threw 93 pitches to improve to 3-1 on the season. Dominic D'Anna and CJ Belanger each collected three RBI for Northridge, with Belanger finishing 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored. D'Anna made the most of his one hit on the day, collecting his first home run of the season in the first inning. He also walked twice and scored three runs.
Sophomore Matt Koch led the Lion offense, finishing 2-for-4 with a home run, a run scored and two RBI. The home run was Koch's third of the season, and second in as many days. Case Miyahira entered as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning and doubled-home two runs in his only official at bat of the game. Sophomore Ramiro Carreon lasted just four innings, allowing nine runs (eight earned), on eight hits and three walks before taking the loss, his second of the season. Matt Florer, Xavier Esquivel and Jason Wheeler all appeared in relief for LMU, with Florer and Esquivel each allowing two runs on two hits. Wheeler was effective as the final pitcher of the day for LMU, tossing a pair of scoreless frames.
Cal State Northridge took a 2-0 lead on one swing of the bat in the first inning as D'Anna belted a two-out two-run shot over the wall in right field. Drew Muren won a good battle that resulted in a walk before stealing second base to set the table for the home run.
The Matadors extended the lead to 6-0 after three innings by scoring once in the second and three times in the third. Carpenter contributed the RBI-single with runners at first and second base in the second inning, while Belanger highlighted the three-run third inning with a two-RBI double to left centerfield.
The lead stretched to 9-0 with three more CSUN runs in the fifth. A walk and a Justin DeMarco double put runners at second and third before Nate Ring singled-home a run with a line drive to left field. After Florer took over for Carreon, Ring stole second base to put runners at second and third once again. CSUN traded an out for a run on the ensuing play, as both runners moved up 90 feet on a ground ball to shortstop. Connor Rhoads followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to push home the ninth run of the game and cap the frame.
Northridge scored two more runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to extend the lead to 13-0 after six and a half. D. Muren doubled-home the first run of the sixth before Ring connected for a two-out RBI-double later in the frame to plate D. Muren. CSUN loaded the bases in the seventh before LMU walked in the first run of the frame when Pineda won an eight-pitch at bat and drew the free pass. D'Anna contributed the second RBI as he grounded a ball to first base to push home the runner from third.
The Lions broke up the no-hit bid in the seventh as Hawthorne doubled off the wall in left field with one out. Koch followed with a single to right field on the ensuing play, but LMU was unable to score a run in the frame.
The Lions got on the board in a big way in the eighth, exploding for five runs on five hits in the frame. Brad Bauer and pinch-hitter Chris Eusebio singled to get the ball rolling in the eighth before Shon Roe double-home Bauer to put the Lions on the board. Miyahira followed with a double of his own, pushing home two more Lion runs on the ensuing play. Koch took it upon himself to score the final two runs in the inning, belting a two-run homer over the wall in left centerfield three batters later.
Unfortunately for the Lions, the five-run eighth was too little and too late, as LMU could not muster any further offense in the ninth en route to taking the 13-5 loss.
LMU will look to avoid the series sweep as the Lions and Matadors conclude their three-game series on Sunday when they travel to Northridge, Calif. for a game at 1 p.m.
