LOS ANGELES – Sam Biller and Benny Casillas hit back-to-back homeruns in the top of the ninth inning, but it was not enough to get past Sacramento State as the Lions fell 10-9.  

 

The Lions got off to a fast start as Khadim Diaw led off the top of the first with a single. He stole second and advanced to third on a Sam Biller groundout before scoring on a wild pitch. 

 

Chaz McRoberts got the start on the mound for the Lions and threw four very effective innings. 

The sophomore right-hander struck out four, allowed just one hit and gave up one earned run.  

 

The Lions got five runs in the sixth inning to take a 6-1 lead. 

 

Brett Zimmerman and Diego Baqueiro singled before Devan Ornelas walked to load the bases. Christian Dicochea roped a double down the third baseline to score a pair and send Ornelas to third. Diaw came up one batter later and lined a single to left to score two more. Diaw would then go on to steal second, advance to third on a throwing error and score on a wild pitch.  

 

The Hornets chipped away and tied the game in the bottom of the eighth.  

 

In the top of the ninth, Biller stepped up in a situation that has started to become his calling card.  

 

If we venture back to the beginning of the 2023 season, Biller hit a heroic two-run homer against Oklahoma State to give the Lions a ranked road win. He would again blast an extra innings homer against Saint Mary's in an important WCC matchup. The following day he would blast a ninth inning homer to give the Lions a lead as well. Then came Friday night and the second game of the 2024 season. The Lions had led a furious comeback to tie the game in the ninth inning after being down six and Biller laced a homerun over the right field fence. 

 

Well, Sunday came and Biller blasted a two-strike pitch over the center field wall to once again give the Lions a late lead. 

 

Benny Casillas came up one batter later and worked a 3-1 count before blasting a no-doubt homerun of his own over the left field fence. It was Casillas's first homerun since the 2022 season. 

 

The lead was short lived however, as the Hornets came back to win in the bottom half. 

 

The Lions have a pair of Los Angeles matchups this week, on the road at UCLA on Tuesday and home to play USC on Wednesday before heading to San Diego for the weekend to compete in the Tony Gwynn Classic.