BASEBALL FALLS TO LMU IN GAME ONE OF DOUBLEHEADER 7-3, GAME TWO SUSPENDED DUE TO RAIN

2/23/2008

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – One game of the scheduled baseball doubleheader between Loyola Marymount and Sacramento State took place, with the Lions defeating the Hornets 7-3. Game two was suspended due to rain in the fifth inning.

With the game one loss, the Hornets record fell to 1-1 on the season, while LMU improved to 1-1.

Sacramento State scored first, as in the bottom of the first senior Ryan Blair hit a leadoff triple, and was brought home on a RBI sacrifice fly by junior Blake Crosby, giving Sacramento State a 1-0 advantage. Loyola Marymount tied things up in the top of the third as Ollie Enos hit an RBI single that plated Jonathan Johnson. The Hornets then retook the lead in the bottom half of the inning, as senior Taylor Watanabe scored on a double play, making the score 2-1.

LMU then posted the most damage of the day in the top of the fourth, as they put three runs across to board to take a lead they would never surrender. Sean Dovel led off the inning with a double, and was brought home, after a fly out, on a double by Kyle Spraker. Spraker then scored on a two out double by Andrew Irvine, and Irvine then scored on another double, this time off the bat of T.J. Bernardy.

The Lions lit up the scoreboard again in the top of the fifth, as A.J. LaMonda hit a solo homer to push the lead to 5-2.

Sacramento State would pull back to within two at 5-3 after senior Brian Boyd’s pinch hit RBI double in the bottom of the sixth that scored senior Wes Oberlin, who led off the inning with a single and a stolen base. But it would be the last time a Hornet crossed home plate, as LMU posted insurance runs in the eighth and ninth innings to account for the final score of 7-3.

Mike Kenney picked up the win for LMU, while sophomore Trevor York suffered the loss for the Hornets. Kenney gave up three runs, all earned, on nine hits in five and two-thirds innings, while York went five innings, giving up five runs, all earned, on eight hits.

Watanabe and Oberlin led the Hornet charge, as each had 2-for-4 day at the plate with a run score, while Blair finished 2-for-5. Including yesterday’s game, Blair needed just five at bats to hit a season cycle, hitting a home run, a single and a double yesterday, and a triple on his first at bat of the contest held today.

Game two between the clubs was tied at 2-2 with one out in the top of the fifth inning. There are currently no plans to make the game up.