April 11, 2015 Final Stats | Photo Gallery 
2015 Schedule | Inside LMU Softball | LMU on Facebook |
LOS ANGELES - LMU softball split a pair of West Coast Conference games with San Diego Saturday at Smith Field, earning a 1-0 shutout in the opener before dropping a 4-2 decision in the nightcap.
The Lions move to 21-23 overall and 3-2 in WCC play while San Diego now sits at 25-17 overall and 4-1 in league action.
The opener was a true pitchers' duel as the two batteries combined for just 10 hits. The Lions broke the scoreless draw in the home half of the fifth, beginning with a Meghan von Behren leadoff triple to right. Alexi Finie followed with a single through the left side that sent von Behren home for the eventual game-winning run.
LMU pitcher Rachael Farrington (16-11) kept the Toreros in check, allowing just four hits and two walks. The sophomore lefty fanned three in the complete-game shutout.
In the nightcap, LMU got solo home runs from Caitlin Harman and Amanda Dirks, but the Toreros also had a pair of long balls, along with two other runs.
Kailey Hill would homer to left in the top of the first and an RBI-single by Frankie Perales in the top of the second gave USD an early 2-0 lead. Harman cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the second with her third home run of the year.
But San Diego would adda run in the fourth and one more in the seventh. Dirks made it 4-2 with her solo shot with two outs in the final frame and Stephanie Crist followed with a single to right center. But the rally would end there as Alicia Brown grounded out to third to end the game.
Crist (4-9) took the loss in the circle after giving up eight hits for four runs in seven complete innings.
The Lions and Toreros wrap up the three-game WCC series on Sunday with a single game set to start at noon at Smith Field.