March 21, 2009

Box Score

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - LMU (10-12) scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning en route to defeating No. 24 Fresno State (10-7) in "walk-off" fashion by a count of 7-6 in game one of a doubleheader being played on Saturday.

With the victory, LMU is now 3-0 against ranked opponents this year, besting then-No. 5 UC Irvine on March 3 by a count of 11-3 and winning yesterday against Fresno State. In addition, six of LMU's last eight games have been decided by one run. The "walk-off" win is the third of the year for LMU.

Junior Ryan Wheeler and freshman Trevor Gee paced the Lion offense, finishing with two hits apiece. Jordan McClintick got the victory after working an inning and a third. The loss went to Taylor Garrison after he surrendered three runs in an inning and a third. Wheeler, T.J. Bernardy and Evan Simonitsch each doubled in the win.

After a scoreless top of the first, LMU struck for a run in the home half of the inning. Three straight two-out singles from Wheeler, Angelo Songco and Gee loaded the bases for Bernardy. The senior worked a 3-0 count before being hit by a pitch to force in the run.

The Bulldogs responded for two runs in the top of the second, taking a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the frame. A one-out walk and hit-by-pitch put runners at first and second before Trent Garrison singled in a run on the ensuing play. After a walk loaded the bases for the Bulldogs, Danny Muno pushed a run across with a fielder's choice that forced out Dusty Robinson.

LMU answered to knot the game at two runs apiece, plating one in the bottom of the second. Jonathan Johnson singled to get the ball rolling before moving to second base on a sacrifice bunt from Simonitsch. After a ground ball for the second out moved Johnson to third, Kyle Spraker hit a grounder to shortstop that was mishandled and thrown away by Muno, allowing the tying run to cross.

Fresno State would not stay tied for long, pushing two more runs across in the top of the third to take a 4-2 advantage. A one-out single by Tom Mendonca and a walk to Steve Detwiler set the table for a RBI-single off the bat of Brennan Gowens. Trent Garrison plated the second and final run of the inning, lifting a fly ball deep enough to left centerfield for a sacrifice fly to bring home Detwiler from third base.

The Bulldogs extended the lead to 5-2 with one swing of the bat as Gavin Hedstrom hit a solo-home run in the fifth. For Hedstrom, the home run was his second in as many games after connecting for an inside-the-park home run yesterday afternoon. Hedstrom connected on a 2-2 pitch from Cho with two out in the inning, driving it over the wall in left centerfield.

The Lions cut the deficit to 5-3 with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Songco led things off with a walk before Gee singled to right field to put runners at the corners. Bernardy pushed a run across, but was not credited with the RBI, as he hit into a 1-6-3 double play to bring home Songco on the ensuing play.

LMU pushed the tally to 5-4 with another solo run in the seventh inning. After two quick outs, Ryan Hawthorne worked a full-count walk to keep the inning alive. Spraker doubled to put runners at second and third before a wild pitch charged to reliever Zac Bischoff allowed the run to score. Wheeler would go on to foul out to third base, but the damage had been done in the frame.

Fresno State got one run back in the top of the eighth to run the score to 6-4. After two quick outs, Robinson doubled to right centerfield. Following a pitching change that brought McClintick to the mound for LMU, Muno sent a ball off Mikos Blue Monster for a double of his own, bringing home Robinson.

LMU put a runner at second base with two out in the bottom of the eighth when Bernardy connected for a double off the wall in left, but LMU was unable to plate the run in the inning. Simonitsch robbed Alan Ahmady of a leadoff homer in the top of the ninth, scaling the wall and bringing a fly ball back from over the fence in dead centerfield, keeping the game at 6-4 headed into the bottom of the ninth.

The catch by Simonitsch proved very important as LMU put up three runs in the bottom of the ninth to take a 7-6 "walk-off" victory. Simonitsch doubled with one out before the second out of the inning was recorded. Spraker followed with a walk before Wheeler doubled in a run. A wild pitch plated the second run of the inning before a bases-loaded walk to Bernardy allowed LMU to literally "walk-off" with the win.

The Lions and Bulldogs will complete the doubleheader with game two starting at 2 p.m.