LOS ANGELES – Zion Williams hit his first homerun in a Lions uniform, DJ Ghiorso added a solo shot and Avery Laine pitched a gem as the Lions completed a sweep of Tarleton State with a 7-3 victory on Sunday afternoon at Page Stadium. 

 

Laine was rewarded with his first weekend start of the season after being a midweek guy to start the season and he did not disappoint. The big right hander threw 7.2 innings, allowing three earned runs while striking out eight. He left with two outs in the eighth inning after giving up an RBI double and received a warm reception from the Page Stadium faithful.  

 

Zack Mack came on in relief for Laine and it was much of the same from the Texas native. He threw 19 of his 23 pitches for strikes as he got the final four outs and locked down his first save.  

 

The offense for the Lions once again produced first inning runs. LMU has loaded the bases in the first inning in four consecutive games, and Sunday was no different as a bases loaded walk and hit by pitch produced the first runs of the game. Robbie Ayers worked the count full and then watched a pitch well outside to score the first and Colby Wallace was hit by an 0-1 pitch to drive in the second.  

 

Tarleton State equalized in the second inning, but it was basically all LMU from there on. 

 

Williams scored the winning run on Saturday night as a pinch runner in the bottom of the ninth and earned the start in left field on Sunday. He answered that call with a 110 miles per hour blast over the blue monster for his first homer of the season. He belted a 2-1 pitch that easily cleared the wall and glanced off the net. 

 

Joe Reid followed up the homer with a walk before scoring on a Cam Hassert triple. Hassert drilled a ball to dead center that bounced off the base of the wall and dove into third with an easy triple. Reid was running on the pitch but had to stall at second to make sure the ball was not caught. He motored around third to score standing up and give the Lions a two-run lead. 

 

In the fifth inning, it was Ayers doing all the work to get himself around the bases. The senior catcher laced a ball into center field before advancing to second on a wild pitch. He stole third easily and then scored on a passed ball.  

 

LMU picked up a pair in the seventh. 

 

Ghiorso worked the count to 2-0 before demolishing a fastball on the outside half of the plate into the left-center field alley. All three of Ghiorso's homeruns this season have been at home and have been to right-center.  

 

The Lions would pick up another run after loading the bases. Reid stepped up and got a run across with a sacrifice fly to left field.  

 

LMU will face Long Beach State on Tuesday before welcoming San Diego for the opening series of West Coast Conference play.