April 16, 2010

Box Score

LMU (16-16, 0-4) dropped a lopsided affair to Portland (21-9, 6-1) by a count of 17-2 on Friday in the first game of a three-game series being played in Portland, Ore. The Pilots scored six in the fourth, four in the sixth, and four in the eighth to highlight the scoring frenzy.

Sophomore Ryan Hawthorne provided much of the Lion offense on Friday, finishing 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. The Lions were held hitless into the fifth inning en route to collecting six hits on the day. Sophomore Shon Roe broke up the no-hit bid with a double off the wall in left field. Evan Simonitsch also collected an extra-base hit, tripling and scoring a run in the sixth.

Junior Zach Varce was stellar as Portland's starting pitcher, dealing eight innings and allowing two runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out 11 Lion hitters and threw 105 pitches. Ed Wakefield finished the game on the hill for Portland, tossing a scoreless ninth.

Sophomore Ramiro Carreon pitched three and two-thirds innings for LMU, allowing six runs on nine hits and one walk before taking the loss. The Lions, who used four pitchers on Friday, next sent Aaron Griffin to the hill. The right-hander tossed two and a third innings, surrendering five runs (four earned) on six hits before Alex Sachs allowed two runs (one earned) in an inning of work. Lefty Matt Florer finished the game on the bump for LMU, allowing four runs on four hits and a walk in the eighth.

Three Pilot hitters collected four RBI on Friday, including Riley Henricks who went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a double. Craig Smith was a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI, a run scored and two doubles before leaving the game due to injury.

Portland got on the board first in the third inning, plating a run on the first of two sacrifice flies from Beau Fraser. The Pilots extended the lead to 7-0 with six runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by a Rocky Gale RBI-single, a Smith two-RBI double, and RBI-singles from C.J. Cullen, Fraser and Henricks.

After LMU put a run on the board in sixth on a Simonitsch triple and a Hawthorne RBI-single back up the middle, Portland exploded for four more runs to run the tally to 11-1. An error by Simonitsch set the table for a RBI-single from Fraser for the first run. After another man reached, Henricks unloaded a missile over the wall for a three-run home run, his fourth of the year.

The Pilots added two more runs in the seventh as a Cullen RBI-single preceded the second sacrifice fly from Fraser. Hawthorne managed to collect his second RBI in the eighth for LMU, driving a double into the gap to chase home Brad Bauer who had contributed a pinch-hit single earlier in the frame.

Portland added four more runs for good measure in the home-half of the eighth, all coming with two out. Gale got the rally started with a single before a second single and a four-pitch walk loaded the bases. Pinch-hitter Austin Pearce contributed a two-RBI double before Cullen pushed the final two runs home with a single into right centerfield.

The Lions and Pilots will continue the three-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m.