Loyola Marymount used 3 RBI from both Kyle Mura and A.J. La Monda to upset
No. 2 Cal State Fullerton in a lopsided 13-6 non-conference affair at
Goodwin Field Tuesday night in front of 1385 fans.
With the win LMU ties the season series with the Titans at one game a
piece and improve to 11-17 on the season. Fullerton, now 6-6 in their
last 12 games, dropped to 20-8 overall and head into the second weekend
of Big West conference play, taking on Cal State Northridge over the weekend.
The game slipped away from the Titans as with a 3-2 lead, LMU plated seven
runs on seven hits, facing three Fullerton pitchers in a wild fifth inning.
Jeff Soulages (0-1), in his first career appearance picked up the loss
as he went only 0.2 innings allowing four earned runs on three Lion hits.
Nolan Bruyninckx, also in his first game of the year, came on in relief
of Soulages and was knocked for three runs on three hits without retiring
a batter. Brian Stevens came on and recorded the final out as Eric Farris
singled to left and was then caught in a run-down as he tried to stretch
his single into a double.
The recipient of the seven-run fifth, Blake Feaser improved to 2-2 on
the year by going two innings and striking out three Fullerton hitters.
He surrendered two unearned runs in the sixth while scattering three hits.
Fullerton scraped and clawed to match the Lions over the final four innings
but the Lions outscored the Titans 4-3 in the last four frames giving
them the 13-6 lead.
Fullerton paraded six pitchers to the mound on a day that saw only starter
Jared Clark leave unscathed. Clark went two innings allowing only a single
to LMU leadoff hitter Joe Frazee and was the benefactor of a double play
in each inning of work.
Three Titans combined for eight of the 11 total hits on the night with
centerfielder Bobby Andrews and Sergio Pedroza leading the way with three
a piece. Felipe Garcia added two of his own including and RBI-double in
the first inning capping the Titan’s three-run first.
Farris, La Monda, Mura, Frazee and Chris Pettit all had multi-hit games
for the Lions with Pettit pacing his team with three. Pettit also joined
Mura and LaMonda as the only Lions collecting multiple RBI.
Fullerton will hop on a bus and travel to Cal State Northridge this weekend
to take on the Matadors in a conference series at Matador Field. Game
times are 3:00 p.m on Friday afternoon and 1:00 p.m. on both Saturday
and Sunday.
