LOS ANGELES -- Brian Kalmer hit two homers – including a grand slam that tied things up in the seventh – and Gonzaga took a 7-6 lead in its second game with Loyola Marymount at Page Stadium on Saturday night, but a four-spot in response from the Lions (19-14, 12-2 WCC) was too much to overcome for the Bulldogs (12-19, 8-6 WCC) en route to a 10-8 loss.

The Zags have a chance to stave off a sweep in Sunday's series finale, set for a 1 p.m. start.

Kalmer's pair of no-doubters paced a Bulldogs lineup that finished with 12 hits to bounce back from a three-hit night in the series opener. Kalmer drove in five runs – the most by a Zag in a single game so far this season – and scored two runs to lead five Zags that picked up a pair of hits each. Cade McGee drove in a pair of runs with a double and a single in his second game back in the lineup, and Sam Stem (1 R), Connor Coballes (2 R) and Brock Bozett all added two hits each, with Donovan Ratfield and Enzo Apodaca both picking up a knock and a run apiece.

LHP Matthew Mueller was effective in his sixth start of the season, striking out eight and holding LMU to three runs on eight hits before the Lions jumped on him for three more on five hits in the fifth. RHP Jack Moffitt (1.1 IP, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) and LHP Bradley Mullan (1.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K) took over the rest of the way, with Moffitt tagged for the loss.

THE ACTION
A pair of leadoff hits from Coballes and Bozett in the first two frames mounted some pressure, with Bozett reaching third after stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error, but the Lions managed to keep both runners from capitalizing.

LMU plated a pair of runs with an RBI single from Benny Casillas in the second and Mueller found himself in a jam with two runners on and only one out on the board after another base knock from Khadim Diaw. The 6-5 lefty responded by striking out Sam Biller swinging in the next at-bat to leave LMU with one out to work with, but another RBI single extended the deficit to 3-0.
Mueller stopped the bleeding with his fourth punchout of the day, battling back from a 2-0 start with three consecutive strikes to strand runners at the corners.

GU plated a run in response in their next opportunity, with Coballes drawing a walk and McGee smacking a two-out double deep into left field to give him time to reach home from first before Kalmer struck out to GU from pressing further. Mueller found his rhythm again soon after, tossing a 1-2-3 inning that included his fifth and sixth strikeouts of the night in the third and following with another clean frame in the fourth before GU started to string together some at-bats in the fifth.

Ratfield led off the inning with a single and Apodaca followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position with nobody out - and this time, the Zags were not denied. After Coballes struck out, McGee found barrel at just the right time yet again, driving a single up the middle to score Ratfield and cut the deficit to one. After Kalmer was rung up for the second out, McGee stole second to put two in scoring position again, but Stem became the third Zag of the inning to strike out and LMU moved into the bottom of the frame with the lead still intact. 

The Lions finally got to Mueller in response though, plating three more runs on five hits to jump out to a 6-2 lead before a foulout kept things moving. After the Zags came up empty in the next inning despite Bozett's second hit of the day and fourth of the series, Moffitt took the mound for the bottom of the frame, striking out Casillas in his first at-bat and keeping LMU off the board despite Diaw reaching on a throwing error.

GU loaded the bases for the first time thanks to a pair of HBP and a double from Coballes, and Kalmer came through with his biggest home run of the season – a grand slam that tied things up at 6-all. After Stem singled in the next at-bat and moved all the way to third, Marenco came grounded out to give him time to reach home and give GU their first lead of the series, 7-6.

But LMU put up a crooked number of their own in response, pushing four runs across with a two-run single and a pair of walks after loading the bases with one out on the board to retake the lead, 10-7. To complicate matters more, LMU reliever Merrick Baldo struck out the side in the top of the eighth to leave GU with just three outs to get back in the game. Mullan generated two quick outs with a fly ball and a grounder and stranded LMU's Connor Blough on second with a strikeout to keep the score unchanged heading into the final inning.

Leading off the ninth, Kalmer gave the Zags some life with another massive no-doubter – his 11th of the year – to cut the deficit to two, but a flyout and back-to-back groundouts ended the inning with the Zags unable to get any closer.

UP NEXT / FOLLOW THE GAME
Sunday's series finale is set for a 1 p.m. start. Live stats and streaming options are available on GoZags.com — follow @ZagBaseball on Instagram and Twitter for live updates, highlights and more.