LOS ANGELES – Benny Casillas knocked and Christian Dicochea knocked in a pair each, Lions pitchers collectively threw six zeroes up on the board and LMU defeated visiting UC Riverside 11-5 on Wednesday night in Page Stadium. 

 

The Highlanders scored once in the second to take the lead, but that was the only lead they would have for the remainder of the game.  

 

The Lions put up four in the third inning with a little help from the Highlanders defense. Robbie Ayers led off with a clean single into left field and advanced to second on a groundout. Casillas walked before Sam Biller reached on an error to the second baseman. With the bases loaded, Ayers scored on a wild pitch before Casillas scored on one of the oddest plays encountered at Page Stadium. 

 

The UC Riverside pitcher wanted a new ball from the umpire and threw the ball to the Lions dugout. "Time" was never called by the umpires, so Casillas came into score and Biller advanced to third on the pitcher's error.  

 

Devan Ornelas clutched up with a two-out single through the right side of the infield just a batter later to give the Lions four runs in the third and a lead they would not surrender for the remainder of the evening.  

 

After the Highlanders put up a pair in the fourth inning, the Lions answered with three more in the sixth. Dicochea and Daalen Adderley were hit by back-to-back pitches tro open the inning. After a double play, Ayers walked and Brendan Bobo was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Casillas dropped a single into right field to give the Lions two more runs. Biller then lined a single into center field to score Bobo from second easily.  

 

After the Highlanders got two in the eighth to close the deficit to two runs, the Lions answered with four more in the bottom half.  

 

Ayers led off the bottom of the eighth with a single in the right field. Bobo walked and advanced to Ayers to second. Casillas sacrificed both runners before the Highlanders intentionally walked Biller to get to Diego Baqueiro. Baqueiro lined a single into center field to score Ayers and Bobo. Dicochea came up two batters later and singled through the left side of the infield to score Biller and Baqueiro and mark the final tally. 

 

10 Lions pitchers combined in the victory. Seamus Barrett started and allowed just one run in two innings of work while striking out four. He handed the ball to Blake Reilly who allowed two runs in two innings of work and struck out three. He passed the ball to Cole Stucky who pitched a scoreless fifth. Cole Chimenti came in for the sixth and Austin Schroeder finished it. Chaz McRoberts threw a scoreless seventh before Will Grimm, Conner Kershaw and Colin Caycedo combined to pitch the eighth. Ryan Mullan struck out a pair in the ninth inning to finish it off. 

 

The Lions will next host Saint Mary's in a West Coast Conference series beginning on Friday April 12 at 6:05 p.m. (PT).  

 

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