LOS ANGELES — Adam Behrens battled through six innings and LMU scored four late runs, but the Lions couldn't overcome a pair of crooked-number innings from Portland, falling 13-4 Saturday afternoon at Page Stadium to drop their WCC record to 0-2.

Behrens was the story of the afternoon in the best way possible. The right-hander worked six innings, allowing seven runs on nine hits while striking out four, but the numbers are somewhat misleading. Outside of a disastrous five-run third inning and the two batters he faced to open the seventh before being relieved, Behrens held Portland scoreless across four other innings, a sign of the competitiveness he showed throughout the afternoon. He takes the loss at 2-3 on the season but gave his team every opportunity to stay in the game.

The third inning proved to be the difference. Portland sent nine batters to the plate, plating five runs on five hits, to seize a 5-0 lead that LMU would spend the rest of the afternoon chasing.

The Lions finally got on the board in the sixth. Ghiorso walked and Mhoon followed with a single, and Gurney also singled to load the bases. Danos then reached on a fielder's choice, with Ghiorso scoring and Mhoon coming around as well on a throwing error by the Portland second baseman to pull LMU within 5-2.

Portland broke it open again in the seventh, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring five runs. Bean reached on a fielding error by shortstop Luca Danos on a pop up in the fog behind third base, and Swygart doubled him to third. A Chun sacrifice fly made it 6-2, before Katayama singled home Salk and Miller followed with a two-run double to push the lead to 9-2. Stewart capped the inning with an RBI single to make it 10-2.

LMU added another run in the seventh when Ghiorso singled home Wadas, who had led off the inning with a double, making it 10-3. Stiveson provided the highlight of the night in the eighth, crushing a solo home run to left field, his first of the season, to account for the final margin of 13-4.

The bullpen was unable to keep things close after Behrens departed. DenDekker allowed three runs in just a third of an inning to open the seventh, and Portland added two more in the eighth on a pinch-hit two-run homer from Troy Osborne before adding an insurance run in the ninth.

LMU (7-18, 0-2 WCC) and Portland (13-7, 2-0 WCC) conclude their series Sunday at Page Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. (PT).