April 16, 2011
Box Score
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The 24th-ranked Gonzaga University baseball team couldn't recover after Tyler Olson surrendered five RBI doubles early in the game as Loyola Marymount University defeated the Bulldogs 9-4 Saturday in game two of the three-game West Coast Conference series.
The Lions (20-13, 4-1 WCC) scored three runs in the second inning and added five more in the fourth and the Bulldogs (20-11-1, 4-1 WCC) scored four runs in four innings.
Tyler Chism and Eric Lane each had three of the Bulldogs 14-hit barrage while three-four hitters Billy Moon and Royce Bolinger each recorded two. Olson (5-2), who struck out four and walked three in six innings of work, saw his streak of five consecutive wins come to an end. Aaron Brooks allowed four hits in two shutout innings. LMU starting pitcher Alex Gillingham (6-2) struck out four in 8 1/3 innings.
Olson walked the first batter to start the second inning and following a sacrifice bunt and a ground out, the Lions hit three consecutive RBI doubles to take a 3-0 lead. Olson got out of the inning with a strikeout.
In the Bulldogs half of the third, Lane hit a one-out single to center field and advanced to third on Clayton Eslick's single down the right field line. Moon drove him in with a single to right center to cut the Lions lead to two. But the Bulldogs had to settle with one run as Gillingham struck out the next two batters to end the inning.
The Bulldogs best opportunity came in the fifth. Lane got the inning started with a single to right field and Moon, Bolinger and Cameron Edman got the run in on three consecutive one-out singles. With the bases loaded, the Lions got out of the jam getting Gonzales to ground into a double play to end the inning.
The Lions added to their lead in the fifth inning with a two-run home run, back-to-back RBI doubles and a sacrifice fly.
Chism led off the sixth with a single to center field and advanced to third on Keegan Acker's single through the right side. He scored when Steven Halcomb grounded into a double play.
Trailing 9-3 in the top of the eighth, Gonzales got the inning started with a double down the left field line and after advancing to third on Chism's single to second base, he scored on another double play.
Gonzales will take the ball Sunday as both teams will battle for sole possession of first place in the WCC standings at 1 p.m.
