LOS ANGELES – A back-and-forth game went the home team's way at LMU as the Lions broke a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the eighth for a 6-4 win over the Gaels.
 
The Gaels struck first on an absolute bomb off the bat of Chris Santiago over the monster wall in left at LMU for a 1-0 Gaels lead in the second. An RBI double by Seth Nager to left center added on another run in the inning for Saint Mary's as Dalton Mashore crossed the plate to put the Gaels up 2-0 after two innings.
 
A two-run homer that barely cleared the fence in right for the Lions tied the game up at two apiece in the third. But SMC answered right back with a Mashore double down the left field line that scored Nick Mistone all the way from first to put the Gaels back on top at 3-2.
 
LMU took a 4-3 after hitting five-straight singles to start the sixth inning as they plated a pair to go up one run. But a double play started by Santiago at third as he came home for the first out and Marc Goulart went to first to get the second out for a momentum-flipping double play stopped the Lions rally.
 
The Gaels would tie it in the eighth when the Gaels took advantage of some Lions wildness. LMU issued two walks and a wild pitch to put runners at the corners after Mashore walked, stole a base, and advanced to third on the wild pitch. He would score on a Chris Campos groundout deep into the hole at second base to tie the game up at 4-4.
 
However, the Lions went back on top after Chase Dabbs hit a batter to start the inning, and LMU bunted the runner to second. The Gaels went to the bullpen and brought in Jackson Hulett who allowed a two-run home run to put the Lions up 6-4.
 
Saint Mary's threatened in the ninth when Mashore had an infield single to extend his perfect night and Christopher Campos had a hit to shortstop as well. Nathan Chong reached on a fielder's choice that eliminated Mashore from the bases before Riley Lamb struck out to end the game.
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Campos pitched the first four innings allowing two runs on just one hit with one walk and seven strike outs and went 2 for 5 at the plate with an RBI. Mashore was 2 for 2 with two walks, two runs scored, and an RBI.
 
UP NEXT
Saint Mary's will play game three at LMU at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.