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Lions Score 10 Two-Out Runs, Knock-Off No. 7 UC Irvine, 11-3
April 29, 2008
IRVINE, Calif. - LMU (21-23) scored 10 two-out runs en route to defeating No. 7 UC Irvine (28-11) by a score of 11-3 on Tuesday in mid-week action from Anteater Ballpark. The Lions' 17 hits were a season-high surrendered by UC Irvine. Senior A.J. LaMonda and sophomore Angelo Songco paced the Lion offense, finishing with three hits apiece. LaMonda finished 3-for-5 with a double, a walk, two runs scored and a RBI. Songco batted 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and a RBI. Sean Dovel and Matt Koch also had outstanding days at the plate, contributing two hits and two RBI, with Koch also scoring twice. Senior Michael Glomb hit the first pitch of the game into left field for a single to extend his hitting streak to 14 straight games, while Koch has now hit safely in seven. Sophomore Ryan Wheeler's two-hit performance, along with LaMonda's three, resulted in each claiming their team-leading 18th multiple-hit game this year. Junior Lee Roberts was outstanding as the Lion starter, lasting seven innings and surrendering three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five batters en route to claiming his second victory of the season. Freshman Chris Eusebio dealt one inning of scoreless relief before left-hander Steve Connolly closed the door on the Anteaters in the ninth with a scoreless frame of his own.
Eight different Irvine hitters collected a hit in the loss, including doubles by Ollie Linton and Ben Orloff. Linton, Casey Stevenson and Ryan Fisher each contributed a RBI for UCI, while Francis Larson, Tony Asaro and Eric Deragisch scored a run. Left-hander Tom Calahan lasted three and a third innings as the UCI starter, surrendering two unearned runs on four hits and two walks while striking out a batter. Matt Dufour, the game's losing pitcher, lasted an inning and two-thirds and gave up three runs on five hits before giving way to Crosby Slaught. Slaught pitched two innings of scoreless relief before Kyle Necke, who got the win in game one of the season series between UCI and LMU on February 25, allowed five runs over an inning of work. Eric Pettis, the Anteaters' closer, allowed one run on two hits in the ninth with striking out two to finish the game on the hill for UCI. LMU got on the board first in first inning, scoring two unearned runs. Glomb singled to get the ball rolling before LaMonda doubled to put runners at second and third. After a groundout failed to move the runners at all, Sean Dovel lined out to Orloff at shortstop for the second out. Orloff tried to back-pick LaMonda at second base, but his throw sailed wide of the bag and allowed both Glomb and LaMonda to score on the play. UCI tied the game at two runs apiece in the bottom of the third, executing the fundamentals in the inning. Larson singled and moved to third after taking a good read on an Asaro single on the ensuing play. The throw came into third, and Asaro alertly took second to put runners at second and third. Stevenson and Fisher followed with RBI-groundouts over the next two plays, and the two teams found themselves in a stalemate after two innings. LMU broke through once again in the fifth, plating three runs in the inning to take a 5-2 advantage. With two out in the inning and a runner at first base, Songco came up with a single to put runners at first and second. Dovel followed suit with a single to drive in the first run before a wild pitch allowed the second to plate. Wheeler wasted no time picking up the third and final run in the inning, singling home Dovel from third base on the very next play. UCI managed to push one run across in the fifth inning, as a leadoff walk proved costly. Deragisch drew the free pass to start the frame before a hit-and-run play ended in an out but moved him to second. Linton came up his only hit on the night on the next play, doubling home the run with a shot into left centerfield. The Lions went on to plate five runs in the eighth and one more in the ninth for added insurance headed into the last half inning. Wheeler doubled to collect his team-high tying 18th multiple hit game of the year to start the frame. After a sacrifice bunt moved him to third, Andy Preston contributed a pinch-hit RBI-single to bring him home. Following a single, a strikeout for the second out, and an intentional walk to load the bases, Koch singled into left field to drive in two more Lion runs. Songco followed suit on the ensuing play, singling home LaMonda and moving Koch to third base. Not to be outdone, Dovel picked up a RBI-single to cap the frame just moments later. The final two-out run was recorded in the ninth inning when LaMonda shot his third hit of the day into centerfield to bring home Joe Vierra, who had single with one out earlier in the frame. LMU will return to action tomorrow when it visits UCLA at 6 p.m. The Lions will then host Santa Clara in West Coast Conference play over the weekend. Game one is slated for 3 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday scheduled to start at 1 p.m. |
