Box Score

Sophomore David Fletcher laced a two-out RBI-triple into the right field corner off of Santa Clara reliever Reece Karalus to score Austin Miller and hand LMU (10-8, 1-1 WCC) a 6-5 walk-off victory in 10 innings over the Broncos (8-9, 1-1 WCC) on Saturday night from Page Stadium. The walk-off was the first for the Lions since leaving Portland on the field in an 8-7 victory on March 16, 2014.

Fletcher finished the night 4-for-6 with two runs scored, the triple, a stolen base and two RBI hitting out of the leadoff spot. The four-hit game was the third of Fletcher's career, having collected four at Long Beach State on April 8, 2014 and four against San Francisco on April 4 of last year. Miller, who scored the game-winner, collected three hits, including a double, and three of LMU's six runs scored out of the eighth spot in the order. Junior designated hitter Joe Christian, making his third start of the year, also collected multiple hits, finishing 2-for-4 with three RBI and a double.

The LMU bullpen was outstanding in the victory, as four Lion relievers combined to toss eighth innings of one-run ball. Freshman Cory Abbott carried the weight early, throwing five shutout frames and striking out six after taking over in the third inning for starter Trevor Megill. After issuing a bases-loaded walk to the first batter he faced, Abbott did not allow a baserunner the rest of the way, turning the ball over to Sean Watkins in the eighth. Sophomore closer J.D. Busfield earned the victory and improved to 1-0 after throwing a scoreless 10th inning, sending the 5-5 game to the bottom of the 10th where Miller and Fletcher came up with the heroics.

TJ Braff provided much of the Bronco offense, going 3-for-4 with three RBI - all three coming in the form of runs scored from leadoff man Grant Meylan.

Kevin George got the start and pitched effectively for Santa Clara, but his defense let him down in the fifth and allowed LMU to get back into the game. A pair of costly two-out errors charged to the Broncos resulted in three LMU unearned runs as the Lions cut the deficit to 4-3. The second error of the inning allowed the first run to score and extended the frame for Christian, who promptly punched a single back up the middle to plate two more. George finished the game having allowed five runs (two earned) on seven hits with eight strikeouts over 6.2 innings of work.

The Lions took a 5-4 lead after seven by way of two runs in the seventh. Miller got things going with a double before moving to third on a sacrifice bunt and scoring the equalizer one play later when Fletcher contributed a bunt single. After a strikeout for the second out of the frame, Fletcher stole second and scored on the ensuing play when Christian dumped an RBI-double down the left field line and just out of the reach of the left fielder Braff.

A leadoff walk came back to bite Watkins in the eighth as Santa Clara caught a few breaks of its own and drew back even at five. Meylan, who walked to start the frame, moved to second on an errant pickoff throw and 90 more feet to third on a balk charged to Watkins. With the tying run just 90 feet away, Watkins struck out Stevie Berman looking for the second out, but Braff came up huge with the game-tying single into centerfield.

Busfield had to work out of a bit of trouble in the top of the 10th, as a pair of singles from Braff and TC Florentine put two men aboard, but the right-hander induced a groundout to end the frame and send the Lions into the bottom of the 10th.

Karalus, who is considered one of the best closers in the nation and is listed on the Stopper of the Year watch list, surrendered the game-winner on his fifth hit allowed over three full innings of work. With the loss, Karalus falls to 1-3 on the season.

LMU and Santa Clara will now play the rubber match of the three-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m.