March 11, 2012

Box Score

AUSTIN, Texas - The LMU baseball team (5-8) split a doubleheader on Sunday after falling to Texas (6-8), 3-1, in game two from UFCU Disch Falk Field in Austin, Texas. The Longhorns scored twice in the third inning before the teams traded a run in the sixth inning of a pre-set seven-inning game.

LMU had its chances in the second game of the doubleheader but stranded seven runners, including the bases loaded in the fifth inning. For the second time in as many games, Cullen Mahoney scored the lone Lion run. Mahoney has now reached in all 13 games this year, including posting a hit in each of his last five games. Mahoney is hitting .444 with three runs scored, a double and two RBI over the five games.

Tim Maitland did the damage for Texas, connecting on a two-RBI triple with two out in the third inning. A two-out four-pitch walk to Mark Payton allowed the inning to reach Maitland, and the two-hole hitter made the walk costly. After stranding the bases loaded in the fifth, LMU managed to cut the deficit to one run at 2-1 when Matt Lowenstein blooped a singled down the left field line to bring in Mahoney with a well-played head-first dive into the plate.

Unfortunately for LMU, Texas answered right back in the home-half of the sixth, benefitting from an error charged to Alex Guthrie at third base. Once again a two-out walk came back to haunt LMU as John Lally issued the free pass to Jonathan Walsh. Brooks Marlow followed with a perfect hit-and-run single through the opening on the left side, leaving runners at the corners for Alex Silver. Silver proceeded to chop a ball to Guthrie and the LMU third baseman came charging but had the ball trickle under his glove on the short-hop, allowing the run to come home safely.

Trevor Megill got the start for LMU, lasting five innings and allowing two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out four en route to being tagged with the tough-luck loss. The freshman right-hander fell to 0-4 with the decision. Ricky Jacquez got himself in some trouble, but the freshman pitched out of every jam en route to throwing five scoreless innings and striking out seven. The right-hander punched out four straight at one point in the game, including striking out the side in the fourth, to improve to 1-1 on the year.

Corey Knebel allowed one run over two innings of work, but held on for his fourth save of the year, striking out three.

The Lions will return to action on Thursday when they open a three-game home series with Indiana at 3 p.m.