LMU had the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth inning, but pinch-hitter Joe Christian struck out looking against reliever Joey Carney as San Francisco (10-23, 5-6 WCC) escaped with a 4-3 victory over LMU (15-16, 6-5 WCC) in game two of a doubleheader on Friday night from LMU's Page Stadium.

The Lions trailed 4-2 headed into the bottom of the ninth, but a leadoff walk to pinch-hitter Jimmy Hill III gave LMU life. After Nico Decolati pinch ran for Hill, Spencer Erdman shot a single through the right side to push runners to the corners with nobody out. After Austin Miller struck out for the first out, Phil Caulfield hit into a fielder's choice, driving in Decolati and cutting the deficit to one at 4-3. Cassidy Brown delivered a double on the ensuing play, sending Caulfield flying into third, but Christian could not muster a swing en route to striking out to end the game.

With the strikeout of Christian, Carney recorded his second save of the year.

Caulfield and Brown each finished the game with two hits, as Caulfield extended his hitting streak to 11 games by way of a 2-for-5 night with a triple and an RBI.

San Francisco starter, Thomas Ponticelli, picked up the win in a quality start, hurling 6.0 innings and allowing just two runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts to improve to 2-3 on the year. Cory Abbott, starting for LMU, also twirled a quality start, dealing 6.0 innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks with three strikeouts. Left-hander Brenton Arriaga was saddled with the loss after surrendering a pair of runs over a third of a frame.

Allen Smoot had a productive day at the plate for San Francisco, finishing 2-for-4 with three RBI hitting out of the cleanup spot in the order. Smoot's biggest hit of the night came in the two-run seventh as he split the gap in left-centerfield with a two-RBI double to break a 2-2 game.

Outside of Brown's double in the ninth to make things exciting, Miller had the biggest swing of the night for LMU, belting his third homer of the year to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth.

LMU and San Francisco are scheduled to decide the series tomorrow with game three at 6 p.m.