March 21, 2010

Box Score

FRESNO, Calif. - LMU (8-11) held a 5-2 lead after three inning and a 10-9 advantage headed into the bottom of the seventh, but surrendered both en route to a 16-10 setback at the hands of Fresno State (10-10) on Sunday in the final game of a four-game series. The loss snapped a streak of seven consecutive Lion wins over the Bulldogs, as LMU swept Fresno State in four games last year before taking each of the first three meetings this season. Every hitter in each starting lineup had at least one hit as the teams combined for 33 total.

Senior Brad Bauer paced the Lion offense, which finished with 10 runs on 14 hits. Bauer finished 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and a RBI. Sophomore Alex Guthrie went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while sophomore Matt Koch connected on his sixth homer of the year in the loss. For Koch, the home run was his third of the four-game series against the Bulldogs. Jonathan Johnson was strong out of the leadoff spot, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a RBI.

The Lion pitching staff struggled a bit on Sunday, allowing 16 runs on 19 hits, including seven (six earned) charged to starter Alex Gillingham. The right-hander tossed four and a third innings, allowing the runs on 12 hits and one walk while striking out three. Freshman John Tewhill lasted two-thirds of an inning, surrendering two runs before handing the ball to Jason Wheeler who did not allow a run over an inning on the hill. Jordan McClintick inherited the 10-9 Lion lead in the seventh, but surrendered four runs in two-thirds of a frame before giving way to Xavier Esquivel. Esquivel allowed three unearned runs before Greg Meyers pitched a scoreless eighth.

Brennan Gowens, Dusty Robinson, Jordan Ribera and Bobby Coyle each collected three hits in the victory for Fresno State, as Coyle also scored four times and finished 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Josh Poytress pitched the first five innings but did not factor in the decision after allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out two. Cody Kendall earned the victory after tossing two innings and allowing four runs (three earned) before giving way to Sean Bonesteele who pitched the final two frames.

LMU led 4-0 headed into the bottom of the second after Jason Barmasse singled-home Johnson in the first. The Lions added three more runs in the second when Colton Plaia hit his third home run of the season to start the inning. Bauer contributed a RBI-double down the left field line for the second run before Ryan Hawthorne lifted a sacrifice fly to cap the frame.

Fresno State scored once in the second on an Ivan Vivas single to second base before the Lions answered with a run on Koch's home run to left field in the top of the third to run the tally to 5-1. The Bulldogs cut the deficit to 5-2 after three on a RBI-double from Ribera in the home-half of the third.

After LMU scored in the top of the fourth, Fresno State posted two runs in the fourth, three in the fifth and two in the sixth to take a 9-6 lead. Gowens contributed a single that resulted in the two runs in the fourth, while a Ribera homer and a RBI-double from Coyle highlighted the fifth. Robinson contributed a RBI-double in the sixth for the first run before Ribera singled back up the middle to chase home the second of the inning.

Trailing by three, LMU managed to post four runs in the seventh to take a one-run lead at 10-9. Leadoff singles from Bauer and Johnson set the table for a Barmasse ground-rule double to plate the first run. Hawthorne extended his hitting streak to eight games with a RBI-single back up the middle to drive in Johnson on the ensuing play. After a groundout left runners at second and third, a wild pitch allowed both runners to score as the throw to the plate got away from Kendall who was covering home.

The lead did not last, as Fresno State scored seven times in the bottom of the seventh to run the tally to its eventual final at 16-10. A bases-loaded ground ball to short resulted in the game-tying run before a sacrifice fly from Trent Garrison brought home what proved to be the game-winning run. Two-RBI doubles from Garrett Weber and Isacc Vivas highlighted the rest of the scoring for the Bulldogs in the seventh.

LMU returns to action on Tuesday when it hosts Cal State Fullerton at 3 p.m.