Box Score

Junior Brenton Arriaga dealt 8.1 innings on Tuesday night, allowing just three runs on four hits and one walk with six strikeouts, as the Lions (22-20) defeated CSU Bakersfield (9-30) by a score of 7-3 from LMU's Page Stadium.

Arriaga threw 107 pitches in the outing, improving to 2-4 with the victory. After Arriaga got himself into a bit of a jam in the ninth, Michael Silva walked the only batter he faced, setting up a save situation for LMU closer, Sean Watkins. The right-hander recorded his sixth save of the year by getting the final two outs, including the last out on a strikeout.

LMU's offense backed the strong start from Arriaga, scoring three runs in the first, one in the third, and three more in the sixth. An error charged to second baseman Jake Ortega allowed Caulfield, LMU's leadoff man, to reach in the first inning before Cassidy Brown shot the gap in left-centerfield for a double to bring home the first run. Jamey Smart followed with an RBI-double of his own to make it 2-0, setting the table for an RBI-single from Niko Decolati to cap the scoring run on the ensuing play.

Brown finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored, the double and two RBI, while Smart went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two driven in. Decolati and Ryan Erickson also collected two hits in the victory.

After a triple from Nick Vehlewald and a sacrifice fly put the `Runners on the board, Smart got back to work in the third, driving home Brown with his second RBI-double of the night to reclaim a three-run advantage at 4-1.

LMU once again punched back when CSU Bakersfield scored once in the sixth, plating three more runs in the sixth, highlighted by an RBI-single from Jimmy Hill and a pair of bases-loaded walks to Caulfield and Brown.

David Metzgar ultimately chased Arriaga and his bid for LMU's first complete game of the season, driving home a run with a double off the wall in left that allowed Dustin Frailey, who walked to start the inning, to score.

CSU Bakersfield starter, Max Carter, was charged with the loss after allowing seven runs (six earned) on nine hits over 5.1 innings. The decision dropped the righty to 0-7 on the season.

LMU will return to action on Friday when it travels to Santa Clara to open a three-game West Coast Conference series at 6 p.m.