Chase Powell

PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Loyola Marymount Lions swept a three-game, West Coast Conference series against the Portland Pilots after taking both games of a double header on Sunday at Joe Etzel Field. The Lions won the first game 9-3 and the second 12-3.

The second game, which featured a 30 minute rain delay in the middle of the fourth inning, was shortened to eight innings to accommodate LMU’s travel plans.

The Lions (16-11, 3-0 WCC) scored during each of the final four innings of the second game. The Lions opened the scoring with three runs in the third inning before plating one in the fifth, two in each the sixth and the seventh and five more in the eighth.

LMU’s Sean Dovel went 4-for-5 with three RBI’s during the 12-3 win. Angelo Songco also knocked in three runs on three hits.

Andy Beal (3-2) picked up the win on the hill after holding the Pilots scoreless through five innings. He allowed four hits and struck out eight. Two relievers followed Beal.

Portland, which drops to 14-13 overall and to 0-3 in the WCC, scored twice in the seventh and once in the eighth. Freshman 3B Kevin Armijo knocked in a run in the seventh inning before freshman 2B Riley Henricks scored on a past ball. Sophomore SS C.J. Cullen concluded the game’s scoring with an RBI single to right field in the eighth.

Senior Ari Ronick (2-3) picks up the loss, despite allowing just two earned runs. LMU scored five runs total off of Ronick in 6.0 innings on seven hits. He struck out five and walked one. Relievers Scott Burris, Zach Varce and Matthew Lange each followed Ronick on the hill and combined to allow seven runs on seven hits.

LMU out-hit Portland 14-11, while each team committed three errors. Henricks finished with a team-high three hits.

In the first game, LMU took advantage of eight errors by the Pilots en route to the 9-3 win. Only four of the Lions’ runs were earned.

Portland junior starter Mark Triolo (4-1) was saddled with his first loss of the season after surrendering six runs, three earned, on six hits in 5.0 innings of work. Hit struck out four and walked one.

The Lions also touched Portland freshman reliever Tyler Thompson for three runs, only one of which was earned, in 2.0 innings. Sophomore Ed Wakefield pitched the final two, scoreless innings and struck out two.

LMU’s Mike Kenney (5-1) lasted eight innings to pick up the win. He scattered 10 hits and allowed three runs. He struck out six Pilots and walked two. Brett Williams retired all three batters he faced in the bottom of the ninth.

The Lions tallied two in the first inning and two more in the third to claim a 4-0 lead. In the first, Andy Preston knocked in the game’s first run with a sacrifice fly to center. After Portland error allowed the inning to continue, LMU took a 2-0 lead on an RBI single by Brett Mendoza.

In the third, three Portland errors led to two LMU unearned runs.

The Pilots cut into the lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth. With sophomore C Rocky Gale on second, Henricks smacked a double to right field that scored Gale to make it a 4-1 game.

After the Lions added two more in the top of the sixth inning to make it 6-1, senior OF Danny Meier blasted his sixth home run of the season over the left-field fence. The two-run shot made it 6-3.

But LMU responded with three runs in the top of the seventh to take control of the game. Songco and Ryan Wheeler both knocked in a run during the inning, while the Pilots committed three more errors.

LMU had 11 hits during the first game. Portland, which was led by junior 1B Chase Powell’s three hits, finished with 10.

Portland returns to action on Monday with a game against the Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis, Ore. The Pilots and Beavers are set to play at 5:00 p.m. at Goss Stadium.