By Led by senior centerfielder Alex Champagne‘s big day at the plate, the Dirtbags (7-13) came out on top 9-6 over the Loyola Marymount University Lions on Tuesday night on Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.
Lions junior left fielder Zion Williams started the scoring off in the second inning with a 446-foot solo home run.
Williams’ long shot was followed by two more solo home runs from LMU’s senior shortstop Cam Hassert and graduate right fielder Devan Ornelas in the third and fourth innings.
Although it seemed to be another gloomy day for the Dirtbags, their bats got going, something that did not happen in the Dirtbags’ previous series vs. Cal Poly.
Freshman designated hitter Luke Taylor sent a ball up the right field line that scored Champagne and ended a streak of 20 scoreless innings for the Dirtbags.
“I feel like me, getting on base, looking to the dugout, giving a fist pump, showing them that we got this and that we got confidence to keep going, the game’s not over,” Champagne said. “All we need to do is get on base, move the ball around, and good things happen.”
A scoreless fifth and sixth had spectators getting flashbacks to the offensive woes of recent times, but in the seventh, it all came alive for the Dirtbags.
Senior second baseman Nathan Cadena ignited the offense with a solo homer to centerfield, bringing the Dirtbags to within two and down 5-3.
Three more runs came by way of an RBI single from junior third baseman Dylan Lina and a throwing error that scored two more Dirtbags.
Dirtbag junior third baseman Dylan Lina tags out LMU redshirt freshman right fielder JD Dunn after he was caught stealing in the top of the fourth inning. The Dirtbags beat the Lions 9-6 on Tuesday at Blair Field in their first win after a six-game losing streak. Photo credit: Ethan Cohen
Suddenly, the Dirtbags had a 6-5 lead going into the eighth.
“For the first time offensively, in a long time, we made them deal with us,” Dirtbags head coach TJ Bruce said. “We shrunk the zone, we battled with two strikes, we went second to home and that’s something we haven’t done.”
Confidence was maintained for the Dirtbags when sophomore pitcher Tyler Gebb came out of the bullpen to pitch a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the eighth.
Three more runs for the Dirtbags in the eighth sealed the deal.
With bases loaded, junior shortstop Armando Briseno popped a ball out to right field to bring a runner home. Then, a throwing error on the ensuing throw home by the Lions rewarded the Dirtbags with two more runs as the bases were now cleared and the Dirtbags were up 9-6.
The late Tuesday night crowd was on its feet after an eventful eighth inning that solidified the Dirtbags’ lead.
They were quickly silenced in the top of the ninth when junior first baseman Beau Ankeney hit yet another solo home run for the Lions.
Ankeney was the last Lion to cross home plate as Gebb closed out the game after his second inning of work.
The Dirtbags will see another Big West Conference series this weekend on the road in La Jolla against UC San Diego.
