LOS ANGELES— The LMU Lions came up short against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos on Friday night, falling 12–1 at Page Stadium.

LMU kept the game within reach early, with starter Kenji Pallares working around traffic in the first two innings. However, the third inning was pivotal as UCSB broke through with four runs on four hits, including a two-run home run that extended the lead to 5–0.

Offensively, the Lions had trouble getting the momentum going against a consistent Gauchos pitching staff. Cam Hassert and Beau Ankeney each made strong contact early but were retired on flyouts. Nate Savoie provided a spark in the seventh with a double, which was the team's second hit, with the first being from Colby Wallace in the sixth inning. The Lions later scored on a groundout by Jake Lyall for LMU's lone run.

The Lions bullpen, featuring Michael Nunez, Johnny Casale, Adam Behrens, Jake Geis, Alex Chavez, Austin Schroeder, and Gabe Maya, held UCSB in check for several innings. But a five-run outburst in the eighth blew the game open, and a two-run triple in the ninth sealed the Gauchos dominant win.

Defensively, the Lions were steady, committing just one error.

LMU and UCSB will face off again Saturday at 3 PM in Santa Barbara, CA.

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