RIVERSIDE, Calif. - LMU split a doubleheader with UC Riverside on Sunday afternoon, losing the first game 10-2 before winning the second game 5-3 to clinch the series against the Highlanders in Riverside, Calif. 

 

GAME 1 

The Lions struggled in the opener, managing only a pair of runs late in the game. 

 

The Highlanders got five runs in the bottom of the second and five more in the bottom of the seventh to put the Lions in a deep hole.  

 

LMU managed a pair of runs in the eighth. Benny Casillas lined a one-out single right back up the middle. Connor Blough followed with a triple to the deepest part of the park, plating Casillas. Blough would score one batter later on a Sam Biller groundout.  

 

Zach Kirby put together a gritty performance, overcoming a tough second inning to put up a bunch of zeroes on the board.  

 

Ryan Mullan and Chaz McRoberts came on in relief and struggled to fins outs before turning the ball over to Will Grimm. Grimm, making his first appearance of the season, struck out a batter and faced the minimum among his four outs. 

 

GAME 2 

 

The Lions offense woke up to clinch the series in the second game of the doubleheader.  

 

UC Riverside got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning with a sacrifice fly. 

 

The Lions got a clutch hit out of Casillas in the fourth. Dylan Dennis drove a two-out double into the left center field gap. Trey Becker followed up with a well-worked walk on a full count. Casillas would follow with a ball that was driven into deep left center. The Highlander center fielder almost made a spectacular play on it, but it nicked off his glove and the race was on. Dennis and Becker both scored to give the Lions the lead. 

 

The Highlanders got a pair back on a homerun in the bottom half of the fourth to retake the lead. 

 

LMU would tie and then untie the game in the top of the seventh, and Casillas would be the catalyst once again. He would double with one out, setting the table for a big inning. Connor Blough would line a single into left one batter later. He advanced into scoring position when the ball was thrown into third. Sam Biller followed with a single through the right side to tie things up. After a pitching change, Jared Thomas hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Blough from third. Diego Baquero then curled a ball inside the third base bag for an RBI double.  

 

On the other side of the ball, the Lions got gutsy performances out of Owen Hackman, Austin Schroeder and Merrick Baldo.  

 

Hackman went through five innings, walked four, gave up two hits and allowed three runs. He struck out a pair in his longest outing of the season.  

 

Schroeder picked up the victory after going 1.2 innings. He struck out one and allowed a pair of hits. He handed the ball of to Baldo who allowed a hit for the first time this season, but picked up the save in 2.1 innings of work. He got a little help from Khadim Diaw who made an exceptional play in the gap to end the game with runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth. 

 

The Lions improve to 5-5 on the season and claim their first series.  

 

LMU continues the road trip with games against UC Irvine on Tuesday, Mar. 7 and then travels to Nashville, Tenn. To face the No. 7 Vanderbilt Commodores for a weekend series.