The Rundown
LOS ANGELES - The University of San Francisco Dons (20-15, 10-4 WCC) baseball team miss chances in their loss to Loyola Marymount (16-18, 9-5 WCC) in another back-and-forth game in Southern California.
 
After USF threatened with bases loaded in the first and third inning, but it would be LMU scoring first with a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning. However, the Dons would come back in the next half inning and score three of their own in the fourth.
 
The first three batters of the inning would reach base safely to load the bases for the third time in the game for the Dons. Helland worked a seven-pitch walk, which would drive the first run of the inning. A single from Puskarich and a walk from RJ Cordeiro would drive in the next two runs, evening the score at 3-3.
 
The Lions would regain the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning with the lead-off batter getting a single, then moving to second on the next at-bat through a sacrifice bunt. A single and an error in the two following at-bats would load the bases for LMU, with the fourth run of the game coming on a chopper to second base. The ball would be too slow for the Aaron Ping at second to turn a double play, allowing the runner to cross the plate and give LMU a one run lead.
 
LMU would add another two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, which began with a lead-off walk. After a sacrifice bunt, a liner to left field would get passed the diving Cordeiro, allowing the Lions' Billy Wilson to get all the way to third for a one-out triple, which drove in one run. The next batter up would single to drive in Wilson, which would be the final run of the game to make it 6-3, LMU.
 
With this loss the Dons are now 20-15 on the year and 10-4 in WCC play. USF will look to bounce back tomorrow and keep their lead in conference with a win in the final game of this three-game series.

COACHES CORNER
USF head coach Nino Giarratano
On Riley Ornido's performance:
"The score line may not show, but I think Riley was still pretty good tonight. One bad pitch leads to the home run, following walk and a hit-by-pitch, which is something he hasn't done all year, giving up free bases. His split finger wasn't real sharp today and that didn't help in getting hitters out off his fastball. Overall it was a wonderful outing for him, seven innings pitched and just four runs given up. The game wasn't lost on us not pitching well, it was lost with us offensively."
 
On the missed opportunities offensively:
"We're not where we need to be offensively tonight. Bases loaded in the first with no-out, we don't get anything. Bases loaded in the third and we get shut down, then bases loaded in the fifth we strike out. Disappointed in us offensively more than anything, not handling pitches in the zone and not putting good swings on balls either."
 
On bouncing back tomorrow:
"The team will be resilient and fight hard tomorrow. Landen (Bourassa) will give us a great effort on the mound. It will be one of those days where we're going to have to stay together and execute little bit better and get more than three runs tomorrow in order to be successful. We're going to have to sure up the defense too. We dropped the ball today, we dropped a ball the first night that led to a run. We just need to tighten up and play better defensively."  
 
GAME STATS

• Michael Perri was the hit leader for the Dons tonight, going 2-for-5 to move his total hits on the year to 46.
• Perri also moves his batting average to .340 on the year, just behind lead-off hitter Jonathan Allen.
• Ornido's four strike outs tonight move him to 65 on the year, increasing his team lead.
• From the clean-up spot, Puskarich has now driven in 27 runs with his RBI tonight. That sits one behind Perri for the team lead.