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May 1, 2009

Box Score

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - LMU (27-21, 10-6) scored three runs in the first inning and then withstood a solid effort from the San Diego offense in a 6-5 victory over the first-place No. 30 Toreros (27-19, 10-6) on Friday in game one of a three-game WCC series at Page Stadium. The Lions are now 7-2 against ranked opponents this season, and 8-6 in one-run contests.

Senior Lee Roberts got the call once again on Friday and got the job done, dealing seven innings and allowing four runs on 14 hits and two walks while striking out three batters. He improved to 7-0 with the victory. Roberts now owns a 3.15 ERA over 10 starts and 80 innings of work on the hill. He has lasted at least six innings in nine of his 10 starts this year, but was unable to record at least five strikeout for the first time this season. Sophomore Chris Eusebio sealed the victory and earned his second save of the year after pitching two innings and allowing one run and striking out one batter.

T.J. Bernardy led the Lion offense, finishing 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored and two RBI. Junior Angelo Songco and freshman Ryan Hawthorne also collected a pair of hits, with Songco batting 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored. Jonathan Johnson, who finished 1-for-3 with a run scored and a RBI, extended his hitting streak to five games, while Ollie Enos has now hit safely in four straight. Junior Ryan Wheeler collected his 19th double of the year, pushing him just three shy of entering the Top-10 in the LMU Single-Season Record Book.

San Diego hit three home runs in the game, but all three went for solo-shots. Austin Green hit two home runs to pace the Torero offense, finishing 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Five other USD hitters had two hits in the loss, while Sean Nicol was 1-for-4 with his seventh home run of the season. Matt Thomson got the start and went six innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits and two walks while striking out three batters. He fell to 5-4 with the loss. Matt Hauser contributed two innings of relief, walking one and striking out two over the span to keep the Lions scoreless late in the game.

The Lions struck first in the game, posting three runs in the first inning to take an early 3-0 advantage. A one-out walk to Kyle Spraker got things moving before Wheeler doubled off Mikos Blue Monster to push runners to second and third. The Toreros elected to intentionally walk Songco, loading the bases for Enos. The designated hitter made the decision hurt, lining a RBI-single into left field to put the Lions on the board. The Lions picked-up the second run of the game on the ensuing play as Shon Roe lifted a sacrifice fly to centerfield, bringing home Wheeler. Thomson got himself back in trouble one play later, hitting Johnson with a pitch to load the bases once again. Bernardy followed with the same fate on a 2-1 pitch, forcing the final run of the frame home.

San Diego cut the deficit to 3-1 with a run in the top of the third inning on one swing of the bat from Green. After the one-out blast that found the trees in left centerfield, back-to-back singles got the ball rolling again for USD. Nicol had an outstanding at bat on the ensuing play, working the count full and drawing a walk to load the bases. James Meador, the team-leader in RBI entering the weekend, had a prime opportunity to cash-in on a few more with the bases full, but grounded into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to end the Torero threat.

The Toreros notched another run to push the tally to 3-2 after Zach Walters tripled to right centerfield on a 1-0 pitch to start the inning. Roberts dodged a bullet on the ensuing play, inducing a one-hop unproductive ground ball to Spraker at third base for the first out. LMU could not escape further damage in the inning as Bryan Harr doubled off the wall in left to bring home the run. Spraker made a nice bare-handed play two plays later for the second out before Roberts stranded two runners by inducing a shallow fly ball to centerfield.

The Lions responded for an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth, reclaiming a two-run cushion after four. Bernardy contributed a one-out double off the wall in left before Hawthorne singled to shortstop an out later. Nicol came charging hard on the play, forced to throw on the run, and fired high as Hawthorne raced into the bag safely. Spraker came up with a chance to collect a big RBI on the very next play, grounding a ball off of Tony Strazzara for an error, allowing the run to come home. USD did escape further damage just moments later as Wheeler flied a 2-2 pitch to left field to end the frame.

LMU extended the lead to 6-2 with two runs in the fifth, highlighted by a two-out RBI-single back up the middle from Johnson. Johnson took it upon himself to get into scoring position, swiping second base in front of a Bernardy RBI-single to centerfield to cap the scoring run.

The Toreros refused to surrender, plating a two-out run in the sixth to cut the Lion lead to 6-3. Nick McCoy led the inning off with a ground-rule double before Roberts induced two quick outs without advancing the runner. Green once again contributed a big hit for USD, singling into left field to bring home the run. San Diego managed to post another single on the very next play, but LMU escaped the inning without further damage.

Nicol single-handedly made it a two-run game in the seventh, belting a 3-2 pitch over the wall in left field for a solo-homer. Roberts finished the inning and did not allow another run, leaving with a 6-4 lead after seven innings.

Green welcomed Eusebio from the Lion bullpen in the eighth with his second home run of the game, lifting a pitch over the wall in left centerfield for the Toreros' third home run of the game. That long ball cut the Lion lead to 6-5 headed into the bottom of the eighth, as Eusebio settled-down nicely to retire the next three hitters in order.

The Lions held a 6-5 lead headed into the bottom of the ninth after stranding a runner at second base, thanks in large part to a nice play by Chris Engell at second, picking a one-hopper from Spraker on a hit-and-run play in the top of the frame. Eusebio induced a deep fly ball off the bat of Meador to start the inning before Walters flew out to centerfield on the very next pitch for out number two. The right-hander closed the door on the Toreros on the ensuing play, getting a ground ball to Roe at shortstop to spell the end of the game.

The two teams continue the three-game WCC series tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.

Loyola Marymount University Baseball