March 10, 2001
Box Score
LOS ANGELES - Loyola Marymount (12-10, 1-1 WCC) scored six unearned runs in the eighth inning on Saturday afternoon at Page Stadium as the Lions evened the weekend series against Gonzaga (6-7, 1-1 WCC) with a 12-5 victory. The game was played under protest by the Gonzaga coaching staff stated in the bottom of the eighth inning due to a possible misuse of the designated hitter rule by Loyola Marymount. The West Coast Conference office will have to make a determination as to any ruling on the protest of the game.
The Zags had jumped out to a 4-1 lead in their half of the second inning as they scored four unearned runs during the inning. Eric Rodland's two-run single to center field was the big blow against LMU starter Vincent Cordova (2-0). Cordova would settle down after the second inning and pitch into the seventh inning allowing only one more Gonzaga run in the top of the fourth.
Loyola Marymount closed the margin to 5-4 in the bottom of the fourth inning as they scored three runs against Gonzaga starter Scott Stencil as the GU starter hit one batter and allowed another to score on a wild pitch. Kris Zacuto drove home one of the Lions three runs in the inning with a double down the left line. Sean Ingalls (0-1) would relieve Stencil in the fourth and give up two more LMU runs in the fifth to garner the loss. David Maffei's 2-run home run was the big shot in the fifth.
As the teams battled back-and-forth over the next couple of innings Gonzaga would protest the game in the bottom of the eighth as Joshua Whitesell re-entered the game as the teams designated hitter. Whitesell had moved from the DH role to the mound in the top of the seventh and was relieved on the mound in the top of eighth inning. Whitesell would re-enter the game and single to right to open the flood gates of a six-run eighth inning.
Danny Evans led the Zags at the plate as he went 3-for-4. Maffei, Zacuto and Mario Cordero would all register three hits for the Lions. The two teams will conclude this three game series on Sunday afternoon with a 1:00 p.m. start at Page Stadium.
