The Loyola Marymount Lions (19-10, 8-2 WCC) took full advantage of senior Codie Paiva's stout performance on the mound and scored just enough runs to take the first game of the series 2-1 over San Francisco.
 
Paiva was in full command on the mound giving the Lions 6.1 innings, scattering five hits while striking out six and not allowing a run against 25 USF batters on 95 total pitches.
 
The matchup between two of the West Coast Conference's premier pitchers didn't disappoint as both Paiva and USF's Riley Ornido were able to keep batters off bay while combining for 14 strikeouts and one run. 
 
The Lions got their first run of the game in the top half of the third when both Dylan Hirsch and Nick Sogard singled up the middle. With two men on Cooper Uhl drew a four-pitch walk setting the table for Brandon Shearer. The senior was disciplined at the plate and earned a walk from Ornido on five pitches, giving LMU the 1-0 lead. The Lions were unable to add to the lead as Trevin Esquerra popped up to the center fielder and Tommy Delgado struck out swinging. 
 
The Lions added to their lead in the top half of the seventh off the bat of Uhl who became just the second LMU player to hit a home run this season. His shot over the left field wall off San Francisco's Grant Young was his first of the season and the 11^thon the year for the Lions. 
 
LMU ran into trouble in the bottom half of the seventh when Paiva gave up three-straight singles to the Dons pushing head coach Jason Gill to call on his bullpen. CJ Fernandezees got the call and responded with getting USF's Jacob Westerman to ground into the inning ending 6-4-3 double play extinguishing the threat.  
 
Fernandezees got the first man out in the home half of the eighth before USF's Tyler Villaroman took him deep cutting the Lions lead in half. With one run already in Fernandezees gave way to Nick Frasso with one out and the sophomore was able to get both Jack Winkler and Robert Emery to strike out swinging putting an end to the Dons in the inning. 
 
LMU tried to add an insurance run in the top of the ninth but Shearer was thrown out at home plate after Alex Lambeau's single hit the third basemen's glove and ricocheted to the shortstop who threw him out at home. 
 
With Frasso back on the bump in the bottom of the ninth the tension was in the air as the Dons were able to get the leadoff man on. Shearer, with the heads up play in the field, threw the lead runner out on Jason Kreske's sacrifice bunt. The Dons would get no further on the base path as Frasso struck out both Westerman and RJ Cordeiro ending the game in favor of LMU. 
 
The Lions and Dons resume their series tomorrow afternoon for the second contest of the three-game set with first pitch slated for 1:00 p.m.