Los Angeles, Calif.— The University of Portland baseball team lost to Loyola Marymount 14-5 Fri., May 16 at Page Stadium. Junior Kory Casto racked up four hits, including his 12th homer of the season in the loss. Portland falls to 9-41-1 overall, 5-22-1 in the WCC. LMU improves to 24-30 overall, 11-17 in WCC play.

The Lions took a 2-0 lead in the first after Billy Lockin singled and scored on a Jonathan Higashi double. Joe Frazee also scored on a wild pitch later in the inning.

Portland tied the game in the top of the third inning after Tyler Perkins doubled to lead off the frame. Pilot senior Jarod Grubb followed with a RBI single. After Brock Griffin drew a two-out walk, Travis Vetters singled to left field. Nick Kosach tied the game, driving in Griffin, with the Pilots fourth hit of the inning.

The Lions answered in the bottom of the third with three more runs. Higashi hit his second double of the game and Joshua Whitesell then hit his 14th home run to deep rightfield, giving LMU a 4-2 advantage. A Joe Silva sacrifice later scored Chris Pettit making it 5-2.

LMU put two more on the board in the fourth highlighted by a Pettit RBI triple to make it a 7-2 advantage.

LMU blew the game open in the fifth as the Lions sent 10 men to the plate and scored six runs.

Silva, Matt White and Lockin hit consecutive singles, chasing starter Stephen Ball from the game. Pilot relief pitcher Joe Jones didn't fare much better, allowing a single to Frazee before hitting Higashi and White with pitches, driving in two more runs. LMU added three more runs in the inning to take a 13-2 lead.

The highlight for Portland was Casto’s seventh inning leadoff bomb, his third hit of the game. He added to his team best hitting statistics with a two-run double in the eighth.

LMU’s Jonathan Oller accounted for the games final run with a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth.

Pilot starter Stephen Ball (2-6) pitched 4.1 innings on the day. He gave up 10 runs, nine earned, on 11 hits, four walks, and three strikeouts. Lions hurler Kyle Huddy (5-6) went 7.0 innings, giving up three runs on 10 hits. Huddy walked three and recorded seven strikeouts.

As a team the Pilots recorded five runs on 13 hits and left 11 men on base. The Lions had 14 runs on 17 hits and stranded 10.

Casto was 4-for-5 with a run scored and three RBI. He hit his 12th home run and 18th double of the season. Casto is now batting .335 and has 51 RBI on the year. Perkins finished 3-for-4 with his eighth double and a run scored.

Every LMU starter recorded a hit in the game. Lockin went 4-for-6 with three runs. Higashi finished 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI.

UP NEXT: The Pilots are back in action tomorrow against Loyola Marymount at 1:00 p.m. The season ends on Sunday with another 1:00 p.m. game against the Lions.