The Loyola Marymount Lions walked into Banner Island Ballpark needing one more win to seal a trip to the NCAA Baseball Tournament and in a nerve wrenching seesaw of a game picked up the victory over Saint Mary's in extra innings 4-2.
 
The Lions are bound for the NCAA Regionals first time since 2000 and bring back to the bluff head coach Jason Gill's first West Coast Conference tournament victory.
 
Getting the start for the Lions was sophomore CJ Fernandezees and he gave everything he had and more in his 4.0 innings of work. He conceded two runs on three hits, walking three while striking out two against 17 Gael batters.
 
The Lions got on the board first in the visiting half of the second off a Kevin Milam wild pitch that brought in Trevin Esquerra giving LMU a 1-0 lead.
 
Fernandezees was strong on the mound for the Lions but ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth after Austin Chauvin's fly ball got lost in the sun and landed next to left fielder Kenny Oyama giving him a double. The Gaels seized the advantage and plated two runs in the inning taking the lead over the Lions 2-1. 
 
Trailing by one the Lions tied the game in the top of the sixth taking advantage of another Gael wild pitch this time by Dalton Ponce. The wild pitch by Ponce put Esquerra on second base, previously getting on via a walk. With Esquerra in scoring position the Lions moved him along courtesy of Tommy Delgado's fly out to right and then Alex Lambeau's sacrifice fly to center knotting the score at two apiece.
 
From that point on the Lions had opportunities to break the tie in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings but couldn't get the play they needed for the go ahead run. The Lions loaded the bases in the top of the ninth but Delgado's dribbler to third proved to be the third out in the inning setting up the Gaels to walk off with the win.
 
Heading into the bottom of the ninth the Gaels almost ended the game when Chauvin hit a double to left center that came within inches of clearing the fence. He got a double of the play but Matt Voelker was able to settle down and take control.
 
On the next play Voelker was aided by a heads up play by Esquerra who fielded a Willits hit to first and threw out the pinch runner at third eliminating the scoring chance for Saint Mary's. With one man on and one out Voelker got the next two Saint Mary's batters to fly out ending the inning.
 
Voelker, picking up his second win of the season, was unstoppable out of the bullpen. He gave up only two hits while walking two and striking out two in his 5.0 innings of work. He pitched himself in and out of jams and kept the Gaels at bay throughout the afternoon.
  
Heading into the top of the tenth the Lions finally got the hit they needed to break the 2-2 tie. Steven Chavez started off the inning with a single to left and was pinch ran for by Ryan Ruley. Ruley advanced to second setting up pinch hitter Ryan Kawano's battle against Nathan Schneider. Kawano's seven pitch at-bat proved fruitful when he singled to center putting two men on base bringing up Cooper Uhl. With two men on Uhl sent a 2-0 Schneider delivery to center field clearing the bases for a triple and propelled the Lions to a two-run lead.
 
Gill called on sophomore Nick Frasso to close the game out and he couldn't have done better. Frasso closed the door on Saint Mary's for the game and tournament by retiring the Gaels in order and giving the Lions the tournament win.
 
The Lions Codie Paiva was named the WCC Tournament Most Outstanding Player while Esquerra, Frasso and Nick Sogard were all named to the All-Tournament team.
 
LMU now sits and waits to find out where they will play next as the automatic qualifier for the WCC they'll learn their destination on the morning of Monday, May 27^that 9am when the teams are unveiled on ESPNU.