LOS ANGELES – Kenji Pallares showed off the full arsenal with nine strikeouts over six strong innings as the Lions baseball team opened the season with a 10-2 win over Seattle U at Page Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday night.
Pallares started off the game touching 97 on the heater and painting the outside corner to leave the first batter of the game frozen. He followed that up by five straight batters starting with the final batter of the first. His final line: six innings pitched, nine strikeouts, two walks, two runs, three hits and his first victory of the campaign.
The Lions helped Pallares to an early lead after the first four batters of 2025 hit safely.
Cam Hassert led off the first by lacing a double down the right field line for his first knock as a Lion. Colby Wallace followed with a double of his own before Devan Ornelas worked a tough at bat and blasted a triple off the wall to give the Lions an early 2-0 lead.
Beau Ankeney blooped a single into the opposite field to complete the impressive start and give the Lions another run.
The Redhawks got one back in the third, but the Lions would answer with two more in the fifth.
DJ Ghiorso lined a two-out single into the right-center field gap to plate two more runs and extend the lead. It was Ghiorso's first hit in a Lion's uniform.
The Lions' biggest offensive inning happened in the seventh when they plated four more runs and put the game out of reach. Ghiorso reached on an error before
JD Dunn singled through the left side. Ghiorso, who was running on the pitch, advanced to third and Dunn advanced to second on the throw to third. With the infield drawn in,
Robbie Ayers notched his first hit of the campaign with a single through the left side.
James Bose followed with a walk to load the bases. Dunn scored and all runners advanced following a wild pitch before Wallace laced a triple to score a pair.
Ghiorso would add a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to mark the final tally.
Wallace impressed in his debut after transferring from Cal State Fullerton, collecting three hits including a double and triple, while also driving in a pair. Ghiorso added two hits and three RBIs, Ornelas added two hits and two RBIs and Ankeney also added a pair of knocks, an RBI and two runs scored.
The Lions pitching staff racked up the strikeouts, recording 16 total punchouts in the opener. Pallares led with nine, with Michael Nunez, Cole Stucky and Jake Geis all adding two apiece.
LMU will be back to face off with Seattle U on Saturday, Feb. 15 with game time scheduled for 3:05 p.m. (PT). Tickets are available on LMULions.com and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
