March 22, 2009

Box Score

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - LMU (12-12) completed the four-game sweep of No. 24 Fresno State (10-9) with an 11-7 victory over the Bulldogs on Sunday at Page Stadium. The Lions pounded-out 14 hits, including three each from Ryan Hawthorne, Ryan Wheeler and Jonathan Johnson, in the win. With the victory, LMU is now 5-0 in games against ranked opponents this season.  The sweep is the second for the Lions this season, having swept Holy Cross earlier this year in a four-game series at home.

Wheeler finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored, two doubles and two RBI to help guide LMU to the win. He has now hit safely in 11 straight games, batting .417 (20-for-48) with 11 runs scored, seven doubles, a home run, a walk, two stolen bases and 10 RBI. Hawthorne was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two doubles out of the leadoff spot in the lineup. Johnson went 3-for-5 with three RBI as the eighth hitter in the lineup. The three hits matched a career-high for Johnson, while the three RBI set a new benchmark for the second baseman.

Freshman John Lally went the first five innings on the hill for LMU, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits and six walks before giving way to Jeremy Burrell. The junior right-hander dealt an inning and allowed three runs, all on solo-home runs in the sixth inning, but was the game's winning pitcher to improve to 1-1. Chris Eusebio was outstanding as the final reliever for LMU, tossing three scoreless innings and striking out four batters to earn his first save of the season.

Steve Detwiler paced the Bulldog offense, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a walk, a RBI and a home run. Sean Bonesteele was charged with the loss after pitching five and two-thirds innings of relief, surrendering four runs (two earned) on 10 hits and a walk while striking out three batters.

Fresno State struck first in the game, plating two runs in the top of the first inning all with two out. A leadoff single from Danny Muno was erased on a double play before Alan Ahmady singled to get the ball rolling once again. A hit-by-pitch and a wild pitch put runners at second and third before Dusty Robinson contributed the two-RBI single into right centerfield. The Bulldogs went on to load the bases, but Lally induced a pop fly from Isacc Vivas to end the inning.

LMU wasted no time taking a lead, scoring four times in the home half of the first inning to hold a 4-2 lead after one complete inning. A one-out single from Kyle Spraker got things started for the Lions before Wheeler and Angelo Songco were hit in back-to-back at bats to load the bases. Designated hitter Brad Bauer drew a walk on the ensuing play, forcing the first Lion run of the game home. After a pitching change spelled the end of the day for starter Cody Kendall, T.J.Bernardy forced in a run with a third hit-by-pitch in the inning. One out and two batters later, Johnson singled through the ride side to drive in two runners and cap the scoring run.

The Bulldogs cut the deficit to one run in the top of the second as Brennan Gowens reached on an error to start the inning. Lally managed to get the first out on the ensuing play, but Gavin Hedstrom followed with a double to left field that allowed Gowens to score from first base.

LMU pushed another run across in the fourth to regain the two-run advantage. A one-out double from Hawthorne set the table for a Wheeler RBI-double that was dumped right behind the shortstop position. Wheeler had hit a towering drive down the right field line that was ruled fair for a two-run home run earlier in the at bat, but it was later overturned and ruled foul.

Fresno State once again cut the lead to one run by scoring a solo run in the fifth. Detwiler walked and moved to second base on a groundout before Gowens connected on a double to left centerfield to plate the run. The No. 24 team in the nation would take a 7-5 advantage into the bottom of the sixth, scoring three times in the top of the frame on three home runs. Tom Mendonca, Detwiler and Jake Johnson each collected solo-home runs in the inning, including back-to-back homers from Detwiler and Johnson. The three home runs in one inning by Fresno State were the most since LMU allowed three to Pepperdine (Eric Thames, Chase D'Arnaud, Donald Brown) on April 19, 2009. In addition, the consecutive home runs were the first allowed by LMU pitching since California (Jeff Kobernus, David Cooper, Josh Satin) hit three in a row on March 15, 2008.

The Lions scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to regain the lead at 8-7 before adding three more insurance runs in the home half of the eighth. A Hawthorne double and singles from Spraker and Wheeler pushed the first run of the sixth across before a passed ball and a wild pitch allowed the second run to come home. One more Bulldog mistake, an error charged to the pitcher, pushed Wheeler home on the ensuing play, resulting in the second unearned run of the inning. The Lion eighth was started on a Wheeler double before back-to-back walks loaded the bases. Bernardy contributed a sacrifice fly in the frame before Shon Roe singled home a run shortly thereafter. The final run plated on a Johnson infield single to shortstop, as the second baseman got out of the box quickly and beat a throw from Muno.

The Lions will return to action on Tuesday when they host Cal State Northridge at 3:00 p.m. at Page Stadium.