LOS ANGELES – Khadim Diaw homered for the fifth time, Diego Barrera went seven gutsy innings, Cole Roberts played an integral role in plating two late runs and the Lions baseball team improved to 5-2 in West Coast Conference play with a 4-2 victory over the visiting Santa Clara Broncos in Page Stadium on Friday night. 

 

Barrera once again dazzled on the mound and some timely hitting allowed him to pick up the victory. Like so many previous outings, Barrera controlled the strike zone and only allowed a pair of runs in the third inning on a solo homer and an RBI double. The graduate southpaw struck out seven Broncos, walked one and scattered six hits while throwing a season high 116 pitches through seven innings.  

 

"I thought I was only in the 80s," said Barrera when asked about the high pitch count.  

 

The Lions bats needed some time to heat up, but Diaw put the first run on the board with an exclamation point. On a 1-2 count in the fifth inning, the sophomore blasted a solo shot over the blue monster for his fifth of the season. It was the Lions first homer over the blue monster this season.  

 

After Barrera completed his final inning of work, the Lions picked him up with a pair of runs to give him the victory. Cole Roberts led off the inning with a well worked walk, fouling off a couple tough pitches before taking a pitch near his shoes to reach first. Benny Casillas followed up with a nicely placed hit-and-run to put runners at first and second. Sam Biller came up two batters later and bounced a ball past the first baseman for a single, with Roberts skidding across the plate to tie things at one. Jared Thomas followed with a bouncing ball to second base that was thrown into the outfield when trying to get Biller at second, allowing Casillas to coast home for the Lions first lead of the day. 

 

The Lions added insurance in the eighth. Devan Ornelas tripled down the right field line with one out before the Lions got creative with the squeeze play. Ornelas took off toward the plate with Roberts executing the bunt to perfection, reaching safely when the second baseman could not handle the throw.  

 

Merrick Baldo pitched the final two innings for the save. The junior right-hander bounced back from a blown save against San Francisco last Sunday to deliver three strikeouts and only one hit, a ball that bounced off his leg and settled in the infield. It was Baldo's fourth save of the season.  

 

The Lions are back tomorrow for game two against the Broncos. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. (PT). 

 

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