SPOKANE, Wash. - The LMU baseball team fell to Gonzaga 8-6 in their West Coast Conference opener in Spokane, Wash. on Friday night. 

 

The Lions got off to a strong offensive start with a pair of runs in the top of the first. Sam Biller came around to score after being hit by a pitch on the first pitch of the game. He advanced to second on a Christian Dicochea groundout before Brendan Bobo walked. The pair executed the first double steal of the season to put runners on second and third. Diego Baqueiro drove Biller in with a sacrifice fly and advanced Bobo to third with a deep drive to center field.  

 

 After Gonzaga got one back in the bottom of the first, the Lions flexed their muscles with back-to-back homeruns. Devan Ornelas hit his second homer of the week with a missle to dead center. The ball went over the batter's eye in a spectacular display of power. Robbie Ayers followed Ornelas with a homer of his own. Ayers hit a deep drive to left field and all the left fielder could do was watch as it sailed over the wall.  

 

Gonzaga once again battled back with two of their own in the bottom half of the second.  

 

Baqueiro continued his hot streak at the plate with a no-doubt blast in the third. Baqueiro tomahawked a ball well over the left field fence for a solo shot. The defense did not even react as the ball cleared the fence easily. 

 

The Bulldogs would respond with a grand slam in the bottom half of the inning to take a 7-5 lead.  

 

The Lions could not get much going for the remainder of the game, scratching across a run in the ninth when Baqueiro scored on a fielder's choice.  

 

Owen Hackman got the start for the Lions and allowed seven runs in five and two-thirds innings. He was tagged with the loss. Ryan Mullan relieved him with two outs in the sixth and allowed the other run.  

 

The Lions will be back in action on Saturday, March 23 at 1:00 p.m. (PT). The game was moved up in the day due to potential inclement weather in the evening.