March 16, 2010

Box Score

Los Angeles - Senior Melissa Dykema tossed her second straight shutout, limiting Harvard to four hits as LMU enjoyed a victorious homecoming, 3-0 on Tuesday afternoon. After nine straight road games and 14 of the first 15 away from home, the Lions (5-11) opened up a 10-game homestand by winning their second in a row this year and third in a row in the series over the Crimson (4-6).

Coming off a three-hit shutout of Troy on Sunday, Dykema (4-6) carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and held on for her sixth complete-game of the season and 61st of her career. After her no-hit bid was spoiled by Jessica Pledger's one-out single in the fifth, she worked her way out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth. A two-out walk and consecutive bloop singles gave Harvard some life but Dykema induced an inning-ending groundout to end the threat. She finished with five strikeouts and three walks.

Dykema got all the support she would need on sophomore Brittany Pereda's two-run homer in the second. Senior Darcy Pagnini had led off the inning with a double and, two batters later, Pereda launched her second round-tripper of the year, and third of her career, over the centerfield fence to stake the Lions to a 2-0 lead.

The Lions tacked on a third run in the fifth. Senior J.J. Hartung opened the frame with a single and stole second with two outs. That brought up sophomore Kelly Sarginson, who lined a double past a diving Stephanie Krysiak in center to bring home Hartung.

The Lions banged out eight hits to hand Rachel Brown (4-1) her first loss of the season. Brown, who entered the game with a 0.47 ERA, allowed three runs on eight hits while striking out eight. Junior Amy Charpentier had two of the hits for LMU.

The Lions stay at home to host the Crowne Plaza LAX Showcase running Thursday-Saturday. LMU will be joined by Bucknell, Utah Valley, and North Dakota for four games a day beginning at 8 a.m. Thursday.