Jonathan Oller homered twice and drove in five runs Sunday, leading Loyola Marymount (14-7/3-0) to a 14-2 win at Portland (3-14/0-3), giving the Lions the sweep in the West Coast Conference series opener for both teams.
Oller led off the third inning with homer, then pounded a grand slam in the fourth - his second slam in as many games off against the Pilots - as the Lions took a 6-1 lead through four innings. Joshua Whitesell’s two-run home run in the fifth pushed LMU’s lead to 8-1, and LMU concluded its day with a six-run sixth inning.
Four of Oller’s hits in the three-game series went for home runs, including two grand slams, and he also drove in 11 runs. Carl Stoeber added three hits Sunday; Jonathan Higashi, Sean Smith, and James Cooper each had two hits as the Lions cranked out 16 hits.
Stephen Ball (0-1) lost his first career start for Portland, getting himself into the fifth inning before being taken out after Whitesell’s home run.
LMU’s Justin Abreu allowed just one unearned run and four hits over five innings to run his record to 3-0. Portland’s only run off Abreu came in the third when Tyler Perkins singled with two outs, then moved to third when Abreu’s pickoff attempt sailed wide of first. Abreu then balked in Perkins from third.
Portland’s only other run came in the sixth on Joe Watson’s two-out single to score Trevor Hahn.
Perkins finished with a career-high three hits, while Mike McCrae had a pair of hits. Trent Kristjanson, the fourth Portland pitcher of the day, held the Lions to just one hit in four innings of relief.