Box Score

Held hitless through 6.2 innings on Tuesday, LMU (3-5) dropped a 5-1 decision to visiting UC Irvine (6-3) at LMU's Page Stadium. The Lions finished the night with five hits, including a pair of doubles from Jamey Smart, but also committed four errors that led to a pair of unearned runs.

Keston Hiura had a strong day at the plate for UC Irvine, belting a pair of homers to run his season total to four. Hiura, who homered in the first and seventh, finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI. Cameron Bishop, who got the start and earned the victory, also had a three-hit game, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and a double. Bishop had an RBI-single in the sixth before driving in a pair with his double in the eighth to cap the UCI scoring.

On the mound, Bishop benefitted from a collegiate rule that allows a starting pitcher to pitch fewer than 5.0 innings and still earn a victory so long as it was predetermined that the team would use three or more pitchers. The Anteaters asked Bishop for two innings, and the right-hander gave them two perfect frames with three strikeouts before handing the ball over to Miles Glazier. Glazier tossed the next 1.2 hitless frames, but he did hit three consecutive Lions with two out in the fourth to load the bases. Unfortunately, LMU was unable to push anything across as Smart struck out looking to end the threat.

Mitchell Miller was next out of the bullpen for UCI, throwing 2.1 innings hitless, but Ben Ritchey allowed a two-out double to Smart in the seventh to break up the no-hit bid.

Still without a run, and trailing 5-0 in the eighth, LMU finally broke through with a run on two hits. Spencer Erdman led off the inning with a double before a ground ball to the right side moved the runner to third. Sean Watkins contributed the RBI on the ensuing play, but it came at the cost of a precious out, as he was retired by first baseman Mitchell Holland on a ground ball to first.

LMU starter Brenton Arriaga pitched well in the loss, surrendering just two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk while striking out four over 5.1 innings. The decision dropped him to 0-2 on the season.

Freshmen Mark Finkelnburg and Steven Skolarz threw the final 1.2 innings of hitless baseball for LMU, with Finkelnburg recording a strikeout over one inning in his collegiate debut.

LMU will return to action on Friday at 3:30 p.m. PT when it opens a four-game series at Florida International University.