LOS ANGELES – The LMU baseball team fell to USC on Tuesday night 8-6 in the final midweek matchup of the season at Page Stadium.  

 

The Lions got terrific performances offensively from Connor Blough and Khadim Diaw, but it was not enough as the Trojans used four homeruns to sink the Lions. 

 

The Lions have made it a habit of starting games off with runs lately and today was no different. Khadim Diaw laced a double down the left field line to open the game. Diego Baqueiro would work a two out walk before Connor Blough turned on a 1-0 pitch and lined it over a leaping first baseman. Diaw scored easily and Baqueiro lumbered around the bases to give the Lions the early advantage. Blough ended up on third with his fourth triple of the season. 

 

The Trojans would strike back with a three-run homer in the third inning and a two-run homer in the third. They would add another two-run homer in the fifth before the Lions cut into the lead. 

 

Benny Casillas led off the bottom of the fifth with a chopper through the left side for a single. Diaw followed up with his second double of the day to advance Casillas to third before Sam Biller drove Casillas in with a sacrifice fly and Jared Thomas drove Diaw in with an RBI groundout.  

 

LMU got to within a run in the sixth inning. Blough led off the inning with a single through the right side of the infield. Dylan Dennis followed suit with a perfectly executed hit-and-run allowing Blough to reach third easily. Devan Ornelas tapped a ball to the first baseman to score Blough from third to cut the lead to two. Casillas stepped up with two outs and lined a single back up the middle to score Dennis from second and bring the Lions within a single run.  

 

The Trojans ended the scoring with a solo homerun in the eighth. 

 

Diaw doubled for the third time in the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate, but pinch-hitter Robbie Ayers grounded out to third to end the game.  

 

The Lions went with a committee approach to the game. Chaz McRoberts took the first two innings and gave up three runs before passing the baton to Cole Clark. Clark gave up a pair of runs before handing it over to Austin Schroeder who rolled a double play and was very effective for five outs. Ryan Mullan pitched the fifth and gave up two runs before Ryan Towers made his collegiate debut in relief in the sixth. The sophomore struck out a pair and allowed one hit. Conner Kershaw pitched a pair of innings and allowed only the solo homerun before David Watson threw a perfect ninth.  

 

The Lions have already locked up the top seed in the West Coast Conference Tournament. With a Portland loss to San Francisco or a win against Pacific, the Lions will claim their first outright regular season conference championship since 1998. 

 

First pitch against Pacific on Thursday, May 18 is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. (PT).