PORTLAND – The Loyola Marymount University Lions (12-19, 5-8 WCC) trailed by as many as four runs but climbed all the way back, tying the game in the eighth, then storming ahead in the ninth to take the first contest of the three-game set 8-5 over the University of Portland.
 
The Lions offense put together 16 hits in the game but none bigger than Diego Baqueiro's double to tie the game in the eighth and Will Grimm's single to put the game out of reach in the ninth.
 
LMU got hits in three of the game's first four innings and finally broke through with three runs in the fifth. Down by four heading into the visiting half of the fifth, LMU got runs off RBI singles by Baqueiro, Alec Cargin, and Dylan Dennis.
 
The Lions and Pilots traded runs in the bottom of the fifth and top of the sixth and with two outs in the bottom of the sixth head coach Nathan Choate turned the ball over to Holden Christian and he silenced the Pilots bats the rest of the game.
 
Christian's 2021 campaign has been electric and he continued his dominance on the mound Friday night. He picked up his second win of the season and in 3 1/3 innings pitched struck out 10 of the 11 Portland batters he faced. Christian only allowed one Pilot batter to get on base after he was struck out and the ball hit off the back of Cargin's glove to get to the backstop.
 
With the Lions down a run in the top of the eighth Kenny Oyama started the rally with a one out double. After Julian Bury got out Baqueiro went to the plate and hit the first pitch he saw to left center for a game tying double completing the Lions comeback.
 
LMU carried their momentum from top of the eighth into the visiting half of the ninth and loaded the bases on a pair of singles and Ben Grunberg getting hit by a pitch. With the bags full a wild pitch brought in the go ahead run and Grimm's single past a drawn in infield put two more runs in the Lions column and put the game out of reach.
 
Christian didn't allow for any drama in the ninth and struck out every Pilot batter who stepped to the plate securing the win for the Lions.
 
The Lions and Pilots are right back at Joe Etzel Field for the second of the three-game set with Matt McClure going opposite Bradley McVay. First pitch between the Lions and Pilots is slated for 3:00 p.m.