Box Score

The LMU baseball team (20-13) had more runs than it did hits on Tuesday night, but the Lions grinded out a 5-4 victory on four hits at home against UC Riverside (10-23). The game, which was originally scheduled for a 6 p.m. first pitch, was pushed forward to 5 p.m. in an attempt to avoid rain in Southern California, but ultimately began at 6:39 p.m.

The time changes and having to remove and replace the tarp twice pregame seemed to have the Lions a little lethargic as UC Riverside jumped out to an early 3-0 lead headed to the bottom of the fourth. Sophomore Brenton Arriaga allowed the three runs on seven hits over 3.2 innings of work in his start, but some run support ultimately handed him a no decision.

Trailing 3-0, LMU got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when Jimmy Jack belted his second homer of the year inside the foul pole down the right field line to cut the deficit to 3-1.

The Highlanders would add an unearned run in the fourth inning off of LMU reliever Cory Abbott, but a four-run Lion fifth propelled the home team to a 5-4 lead it would hold the rest of the way. With Abbott on the mound for the offensive outpouring, the freshman earned the victory and moved to 1-1.

The Lions scored four runs on one hit in the fifth, including plating the first three without the benefit of a hit. Instead, LMU took advantage of three walks and a hit-by-pitch to get even in the game before David Edwards singled into centerfield to bring home the go-ahead run.

Walks to Billy Wilson and Sean Watkins started the inning before Austin Miller drew one of LMU's three hit-by-pitches in the game to load the bases. A third walk, this one to David Fletcher, forced in the first run before Tanner Donnels belted a ball into the right centerfield gap where right fielder Robby Witt made a leaping catch at the wall and fell to the ground. Watkins tagged up from third on the play, but the speedy Miller was right behind him, alertly tagging and scoring all the way from second base. The throw to the plate also allowed Fletcher to move into scoring position, setting the table for Edwards' RBI-single one play later.

Junior Michael Silva did a wonderful job of bridging the gap to the closer, J.D. Busfield, tossing two scoreless innings and striking out two before turning it over to Busfield in the ninth. The right-hander had to earn his 11th save of the year, issuing a leadoff walk to put the tying run aboard before ultimately stranding the runner at first after a 20-pitch inning that ended with a strikeout of Witt on the eighth pitch of his at bat.

LMU will return to West Coast Conference play on Thursday when it opens a three-game series with BYU at 6 p.m.