LOS ANGELES — A fresh start was needed for LMU baseball during the team’s first of three games against the University of San Francisco. After being swept by Santa Clara University in three games, the Lions were back at home at Page Stadium on April 2. Young baseball players from Del Rey American Little League even got to join the starting lineup on the field during the national anthem.
Head coach Donegal Fergus gave two-time WCC Pitcher of the Week Jonah Johnson ‘26 the start on the mound. Jake Lyall ‘28 was catching behind the plate. Johnson was also looking for a fresh start after a rough outing against the Broncos on March 27, where he pitched one and a third innings. However, after two and a third innings from Johnson, Zach Dendekker ‘27 came into the game at the top of the third with two runners on base and one out in the inning.
The Lion bats were silent through six innings, for the most part, with a hit or two sprinkled in, but runners were left without touching home plate. They went into the bottom of the seventh with a score of 9-0, in favor of the Dons so far. However, in a game that was looking to go the opposing team’s way, the Lions found their groove, giving themselves the opportunity to get back into it.
With one out in the inning, Lyall hit a single to center field, followed by Cooper Whitton ‘27 hitting a double down the right field line, advancing Lyall to third base. Jaxson Wall, a graduate student, was hit by a pitch, a recurring theme in this inning and the next, to load the bases. The next batter, Zion Williams ‘26, was hit by a pitch, advancing Wall to second base, Whitton going to third, and Lyall scoring home easily from third base.
Still with one out and the bases loaded, DJ Ghiorso ‘26 was hit by a pitch, letting Whitton score the same way Lyall scored. Zach Wadas ‘27 joined his teammates on first base after getting walked. Ghiorso and Williams moved over a base each, and Wall scored home. Three runs were scored in a row, but Noah Malone’s double emptied the bases with a three-RBI double to center field. The Lions now trailed the Dons 9-6, still in favor of the opposing team.
Freshman Richie Klosek capitalized on the Dons’ unforced errors by hitting a two-run home run to left field. In an inning that was needed by the Lions’ offense, they still trailed the Dons 9-8. At the top of the eighth, one last call to the bullpen was made after Fergus gave sophomore Matt Moreno the ball following Dendekker’s four and two-thirds innings.
After Moreno gave up a run in the defensive half of the eighth inning, one swing by Wadas changed the game. At the bottom of the eighth, a single down the middle by Whitton, Williams getting hit by a pitch again, and Ghiorso also getting hit by a pitch, loaded the bases once again. On a night where he was one for four at the plate, Wadas tattooed a grand slam to right-center field.
In a game where the Lions had to trust the process, pieces of the offense connected, and free passes were given by the Dons. The Lions got their first conference win of the season with a final score of 12-10.
Stat leaders of the game were Wadas, who went 2 for 4 with a grand slam, Whitton going 2 for 4, and Williams going 2 for 3.
The Lions tied the series 1-1 with the Dons on Friday night, April 3, and collected their second conference win on April 4. They travel to Seattle, Wash., for a three-game conference series against the Seattle University Redhawks from April 10-12. Games are available to watch on ESPN+.
