May 25, 2010

Box Score

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - Errors proved costly on Tuesday as the Lions (22-30) dropped a 10-7 decision to Cal Poly (21-31) at Cal Poly's Baggett Stadium. The two Lion errors led to three unearned runs, including a pair to erase a lead in the seventh. LMU led 6-2 after two innings, 6-3 after three, and 7-4 after five before allowing a pair of runs in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

Matt Lowenstein continued to swing a hot bat for LMU, batting 3-for-4 with a triple, a run scored and two RBI. Junior Jonathan Johnson also tripled in the game, notching his ninth of the year. He is now tied with Dan Henry (1975) for first in the single-season record books for triples, and has run his total to 16 in his career, matching Billy Bean (1983-86) for second all-time. He needs just three more in his career to reach Bob Sheldon's mark of 19 set from 1969-72. Overall, Johnson went 2-for-5 with a run scored and a RBI out of the leadoff spot.

Ramiro Carreon got the start and left with a lead before earning a no decision on Tuesday. The right-hander dealt five innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits, a walk and two hit-by-pitches. Reliever Jordan McClintick, who was tagged with the loss, also hit a pair of batters, tossing an inning and two-thirds and allowing a pair of unearned runs before giving way to Chris Eusebio. The righty from Walnut, Calif. contributed the final inning and a third, surrendering a pair of runs on two hits and a walk while also striking out three.

David Van Ostrand finished 3-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI to pace the Mustang offense. Denver Chavez drove-in three runs out of the nine-spot, while Adam Melker connected on his sixth home run of the year in the second inning. Bobby Crocker and Evan Busby each tripled and collected a RBI, with Busby batting 2-for-3 with two runs scored as well.

After a terrible start from Kyle Anderson, left-hander Frankie Reed picked up the slack out of the bullpen. Anderson lasted just two innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits and a walk, but did not factor in the decision. Reed took over in the third and dealt an impressive six frames, surrendering just one run on four hits and punching-out a pair of Lion hitters. Jeff Johnson entered in the ninth inning and made quick work of the Lion offense, striking out a pair of hitters en route to his fourth save of the year.

The Lions got on the board first in the game, plating a pair of runs on a two-RBI single to shortstop from Lowenstein. Johnson singled to start the game before a double play erased the first threat. Ryan Hawthorne restarted the offense with a hit, preceding a Matt Koch walk and a wild pitch to put runners at second and third with two down. Lowenstein followed by grounding a ball into the hole at shortstop, where J.J. Thompson dove and tried to make the throw to first. The throw was not nearly in time to get a speedy Lowenstein, allowing the lead runner to scamper home safely. Koch also managed to score on the play, employing a miraculous slide around the tag at the dish and touching home safely with his hand.

After the Mustangs got back to even on a two-run homer from Melker in the second, LMU posted four more runs in the second inning to claim a 6-2 advantage after two innings. Evan Simonitsch brought home Brad Bauer, who had reached with a leadoff double, with a single for the first run. Johnson followed with a triple to plate Simonitsch and the second run of the inning, preceding a Shon Roe RBI-single to second base. After a fielder's choice and an error left a runner at second with two out, Koch came up clutch with a base hit back up the box to put a cap on the Lion scoring run.

Unfortunately for the Lions, Cal Poly would out-score LMU by a count of 8-1 over the final seven innings of play. A one-out walk in the third was nearly negated when Crocker grounded what looked to be an inning-ending double play ball to second base. Johnson looked primed to make the play, but instead had the ball trickle under his glove, leaving runners at the corners. Van Ostrand made the error costly on the ensuing play, grounding a ball through the right side to plate the unearned run.

The Mustangs were back at it again in the fourth, scoring once more to cut the deficit to 6-4. After a pair of quick outs, Busby singled to get the two-out rally started. Busby did well to read a wild pitch in the dirt, taking off for second the moment he saw Koch drop to his knees behind the plate. The heads-up baserunning was rewarded on the ensuing play as Chavez contributed the RBI-single through the right side to score the run.

Lowenstein tripled and came around to score on a Jason Barmasse RBI-groundout in the fifth, but that would be all the offense LMU could muster on Tuesday. Cal Poly on the other hand, was just getting started. The Mustangs put-up two runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by a Busby triple, to cut the game to just one run at 7-6.

They followed that up by taking a lead on a pair of unearned runs in the seventh. A hit-by-pitch and a single got the inning going in the right direction, but LMU nearly got out of the frame unscathed. Mitch Haniger attempted to bunt the runners over on the ensuing play, but instead bunted the ball right back to the mound, allowing McClintick to field and retire the lead runner at third base. Thompson connected on what looked to be yet another inning-ending double play ball, this one to short, on the next play, but once again the Lion middle infield could not put the ball away. Roe bobbled the ball and could not get a handle at all, leaving the bases loaded with only out. A sacrifice fly from Elliot Stewart tied the game before a McClintick hit-by-pitch and a walk with the bases loaded resulted in the go-ahead run.

The Mustangs added two insurance runs in the eighth, benefitting from their second triple of the night, this one from Crocker with a man on first. Crocker showed bunt early in the at bat, but pulled back and lined a Eusebio fastball into the gap in left centerfield. With the infield now pulled in in an attempt to cut down the runner from third, Haniger doubled to left field to push the final run across in the game.

The Lions will return to action on Wednesday when they host Cal State Bakersfield at 3 p.m.