LOS ANGELES — The Gaels (19-13, 4-3 WCC) dropped their series opening contest at LMU (14-21, 2-8 WCC) in heartbreaking fashion, coughing up a 4-0 lead to fall 5-4 in the bottom of the 10th. The Gaels will now need to win their Saturday and Sunday contests vs LMU to earn their third straight WCC series victory. 

Derik Eaquinto put together his best start against a WCC foe this season on the hill. The Gaels Friday night starter went 6.1 innings, surrendering just one run on three hits, while fanning six and walking just one. 

Saint Mary's scored all four of their runs in the first inning. Things got started when Gavin Napier poked a lead-off single out to right, and advanced to second on a Christian Almanza groundout. Up stepped Ryan Pierce with one away, who promptly banged a single right back up the middle, scoring Napier from second. With two away, Brian Duroff roped a hit to left center, bringing up Dalton Mashore. Mashore went with the first he saw and drove it out to right center and over the fence for a three run blast, his eighth of the season. 

Eaquinto worked five shutout innings before surrendering his first run in the sixth. He tossed 108 pitches in total, making through a third of the seventh inning until giving way to Ryan Wiltse. The Lions offense remained persistent, striking for a run off of Wiltse in the seventh. Preston Howey loaded the bases in the eighth but danced out of danger, keeping the Gaels ahead 4-2. That was until the ninth, when he gave up a lead-off walk followed by the game tying two run blast. Howey was immediately lifted from the game for Ryan Sanders, who retired the side. On to pitch in the tenth, Sanders fanned the first two batters he faced, but issued a walk, a double and a single that would allow LMU to score the walk-off run, ending things at 5-4. 

Dalton Mashore's RBIs have come in bunches and tonight was no exception, driving in three. For the season, this was Mashore's fifth game with 3+ RBI. The home run put him in a three way tie for second best on the team, as he, Nathan Chong and Brian Duroff all sit behind Christian Almanza. Derik Eaquinto worked into the seventh inning for the second time this season. It was the fourth time this season that he surrendered one or fewer earned runs in an outing, and the first since March 1 against Seattle. 

The Gaels will take on LMU tomorrow at 6 PM.

Saint Mary's full schedule can be viewed here and season tickets can be purchased by clicking here. 

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