Sophomore Elvis Herrera went 4-for-4 with one RBI and four runs scored Saturday.

April 9, 2005

Box Score

Los Angeles, Calif. - LMU baseball (12-18, 5-5 WCC) powered out a season-high 24 hits, including back-to-back-to-back home runs and a grand slam, en route to the 21-9 win over the University of Portland (12-19, 3-8) Saturday afternoon. The Lions' victory tied the three-game West Coast Conference series at one game each, setting up the rubber match Sunday.

Junior Chris Pettit was one shy of equaling the LMU record eight RBI, driving in seven on a 2-for-5 performance. Every LMU starter registered a hit for the second time in three games, led by sophomore Elvis Herrera who went 4-for-4 with an RBI and four runs scored. With a seven-run fifth inning and an eight-run eighth, it was the third time this week that the Lions have scored at least seven runs in an inning.

Trailing 7-5 with one out in the bottom of the fifth, Kyle Mura started the LMU rally. Mura hit the first of three straight home runs, as Evan Shahak and Jon Oller followed the juniors' lead. It was the 30th career homer for Oller, who equaled Jim McAnany's (1984-87) mark for sixth all-time in the LMU record book.

Herrera, Sean Dovel, and Anthony Soto then put up three straight singles, setting up Pettit's grand slam. The grand slam made it seven runs scored on seven straight hits for the Lions.

LMU tacked on another run in the seventh when Pettit's double scored Herrera, who started the inning with a single.

The Pilots were able to push two runs across on two hits in the top of the eighth to make it 13-9.

But it was the Lions' eighth inning that sealed the Pilots' fate Saturday. LMU scored eight runs on four hits, and took advantage of two errors and three hit batters by the Pilots' Stephen Ball and Joe Jones to put up the highest-scoring inning of the season for the 21-9 final.

After Portland scored two in the first inning, the Lions found themselves down 2-0 with two outs in the bottom of the second. Dovel tripled to right field, scoring Oller and Herrera, who had both singled earlier in the inning. Soto followed with a double of his own that plated Dovel to give the Lions the 3-2 lead.

Portland tied the game again in the top of the third when Jason Krohn hit a solo home run.

Mura put the Lions back on top in the bottom of the third with a single to right that scored Farris, who had put up a leadoff double. It was the freshman's seventh career hit, four of which are doubles.

A four-run fourth inning seemed like it would be the difference in the game, as the Pilots used a leadoff double by Andrew Wrisley to begin their rally. But after four runs scored, Andy Beal took over for Kahn with bases loaded and one out and got Nik Kosach to ground into a double play to end the inning. Kahn finished with six strikeouts in 3.1 innings.

Pettit cut the lead to two when his sacrifice fly to right scored Herrera, who had doubled to left to start the bottom of the fourth.

Beal earned his first decision of the season, after working 4.2 innings in relief for the Lions. The freshman allowed six hits and struck out three.

Portland starter Ari Ronick (2-5) suffered the loss for the Pilots after allowing eight earned runs in his 4.1 innings of work. Right fielder Travis Vetters led the Pilots at the plate, going 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored.

Oller continued his hot-hitting Saturday, putting up his fourth home run in five games and finishing 2-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored. Farris went 4-for-6 with two RBI and two runs scored. Soto contributed a 3-for-4 offensive effort and added two RBI and two runs.

LMU and Portland will battle in the rubber match Sunday, with first pitch slated for 1:00 p.m.

-GO LIONS-