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May 11, 2009

Box Score

TUCSON, Ariz. - LMU (29-24) held a lead into the ninth inning, but allowed two runs in the bottom of the frame, including one unearned after a costly throwing error on a sacrifice bunt attempt, en route to dropping a 7-6 decision to Arizona (25-23) on Monday in the final game of a three-game series against the Wildcats in Tucson, Ariz. The loss marked the third time this season that the Lions had been swept in a weekend series.

Junior Angelo Songco led the Lion offense on the night, belting two home runs in the game. The native of Granada Hills, Calif. finished 2-for-3 with the two round-trippers, three runs scored, a walk and four RBI. The multi-home run game was Songco's second of the season, and third of his career, after hitting two against UC Riverside on March 10. The home runs were also numbers 14 and 15 of the season, and 33 and 34 in his career. He is now tied for eighth in the All-Time Single-Season record book, and sits seventh in the Career Book, sitting just one behind the sixth-place spot. In addition, with eight total bases on Monday, Songco now sits tied for ninth in the All-Time Record Books in total bases with 372. Lastly, Songco has hit safely in seven straight games, batting .609 (14-for-23) with nine runs scored, a double, a triple, three home runs, four walks and 10 RBI over the span. With two hits on Monday, he has collected multiple hits in each of his last six games.

Freshman Shon Roe and senior T.J. Bernardy each collected two hits in the loss, with Roe finishing 2-for-4 with two RBI. Bernardy notched a double, a walk and a run scored on the night.

Freshman Ramiro Carreon dealt six innings as the Lion starter, earning a no decision after leaving with the lead. He allowed three runs on five hits and struck out six Arizona hitters. Senior Ernie Cho lasted two innings, surrendering two runs on four hits and punching-out two hitters. John Lally, the game's losing pitcher, allowed two runs (one earned) after hitting a batter and making an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt, trying to nail-down the save in the ninth inning. Sophomore Chris Eusebio surrendered the game-winning sacrifice fly, entering in the ninth and intentionally walking two batters to load the bases and set-up a force.

Dillon Baird continued his hot-hitting on Monday, finishing 2-for-3 with a triple, a double, a run scored and a RBI. Hunter Pace also collected a pair of hits, batting 2-for-3 with a run scored and a RBI. Brad Glenn, who was 1-for-4 with a double on the night, collected the game-winning sacrifice fly in the ninth inning.

Daniel Workman got bailed-out late by the Arizona offense, lasting only two-thirds of a frame as the Wildcat starter, allowing four runs on five hits before giving way to Joe Allison. Allison did his job, eating five and a third innings and allowing just one run on four hits and striking out four batters to keep Arizona close. Bryce Bandilla and Cory Burns teamed to pitch two innings and allow a run, charged to Bandilla, before Jason Stoffel tossed a scoreless ninth inning, setting the table for the "walk-off" heroics in the ninth. Stoffel was the "good-luck" winner, improving to 2-1 on the year.

As they did in each game of the series, the Lions got on the board first, scoring four times in the top of the first inning. One-out singles from Bernardy, who hit out of the two-spot in the order on Monday, and Wheeler preceded Songco's first home run of the game, a towering three-run shot to right field and off the scoreboard. Ollie Enos got the ball rolling once again with a fourth consecutive hit, moving to second on a wild pitch. Roe notched a two-out RBI later in the inning, lining a base hit back up the box to plate the run and cap the frame.

Arizona refused to surrender momentum early, collecting a run in the bottom of the first. Baird doubled with one out before Jett Bandy followed with the same result in the very next at bat. Carreon settled-down after the back-to-back doubles, but the minor damage was already done in the frame.

The Lions ran the lead to 5-1 in the third on Songco's second homer of the game to leadoff the frame. Unfortunately for LMU, Arizona would post a run in the fifth and two more in the seventh to cut the deficit to 5-4. Back-to-back singles to start the fifth got the ball rolling for Arizona in that inning before a fielder's choice brought home the run at the cost of an out. A pinch-hit RBI-double from Rafael Valenzuela plated the first of two runs in the seventh for the Wildcats, with the second coming home on Baird's triple into right centerfield.

The two teams traded runs in the eighth inning, with LMU pushing a run across on a Roe groundout with runners at second and third and the infield drawn in on the grass. The native of Palmdale, Calif. dribbled a ball out toward Valenzuela at second base, whose only play was to first. Arizona got the inning started right in the home-half of the frame, receiving a leadoff double from Glenn. The Lions did well to retire the next two hitters without advancing the runner, but they could not escape danger as Pace grounded a base hit through the right side of the infield to chase home Glenn for the two-out RBI.

Holding a one-run lead headed into the ninth inning, LMU elected to hand the ball over to Lally for the save opportunity. The freshman hit pinch-hitter Mike Weldon to open the frame, setting-up a sacrifice bunt situation for Bryce Ortega at the top of the lineup. Ortega put the bunt down on the first pitch of the at bat, pushing it out toward Lally on the hill. Lally fielded the ball cleanly and attempted to throw the runner out at first, but fired over the head of Jonathan Johnson who was covering the bag at first. Weldon raced to score all the way from first, tying the ballgame and leaving Ortega standing at third base as a result of the throwing error. After Eusebio entered and issued intentional walks to the next two hitters to load the bases, Glenn lifted a ball into deep centerfield for the game-winning sacrifice fly.

The Lions return to action on Wednesday when they travel to USC for a game against the Trojans at 6:30 p.m. USC defeated LMU at Page Stadium by a count of 13-5 on April 21 earlier this season.

Loyola Marymount University Baseball