Box Score

The LMU baseball team (8-6) suffered a 13-7 loss to Arkansas (9-2) on Saturday afternoon at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. The Lions could not take advantage of a number of opportunities offensively, while the pitching staff allowed six runs with two out in the eighth en route to taking the loss.

Senior Tanner Donnels proved to be the highlight for LMU in the loss, as he finished a triple short of the cycle. The native of Coto de Caza, Calif. singled in the second, homered in the fifth and had an RBI-double in the seventh. The homer was the first of the year for Donnels, and his third career round-tripper. He finished 3-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBI and a walk.

The Lions had runners at second and third with nobody out in a 7-2 ballgame following Donnels' RBI-double in the seventh, but right-hander Dominic Taccolini struck out Sean Watkins, Austin Miller and Chris Barnett to retire the side and end the threat.

Taccolini earned the victory and improved to 3-1 after tossing seven innings and allowing just two runs on five hits and no walks while striking out a career-high nine batters. He faced just one over the minimum through six innings, with the only two hits to that point coming off the bat of Donnels.

LMU had another strong opportunity to score in the eighth, as the Lions scored one early run and then had a runner at third with only one out. This time a Razorback reliever, Parker Sanburn, buckled down to strike out David Edwards and David Fletcher looking to retire the side.

Arkansas got its leadoff man aboard in seven of the eight offensive innings, but surprisingly the one inning it did not, the Razorbacks exploded for six runs. Sophomore Tyler Cohen got the first two men out in the eighth, but Michael Bernal singled on a 1-2 count to get the two-out rally going. Tucker Pennell also fell into a two-strike count at 0-2, but he also singled to keep the inning alive. Another two-strike, two-out hit, an RBI-single from Clark Eagan, plated the first run before a walk loaded the bases and forced LMU to call to the bullpen and summon Kevin Glomb. The senior right-hander surrendered a bases-clearing three-RBI double from Andrew Benintendi before Tyler Spoon belted his second homer of the year, a two-run shot, over the wall in left centerfield to cap the scoring run.

Benintendi finished 3-for-5 with the double, two runs scored, a stolen base and five RBI. Eagan, hitting out of the leadoff spot, scored three times and collected two hits.

Although the six-run eighth certainly did the Lions in on Saturday, Arkansas came out swinging and chased LMU's starter Trevor Megill after just 2.1 innings of work. The right-hander allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits and for walks before handing the ball over to the bullpen. With the offense unable to make up the deficit the rest of the way, Megill was tagged with the loss and fell to 1-2.

The Lions did manage to score four runs in the top of the ninth, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Edwards, but the runs were too little and too late as Arkansas locked up the series victory.

LMU will attempt to avoid a series sweep tomorrow with game three at 10:35 a.m. PT.