Loyola Still on Skid, Gives Up 1st Place

Loyola Marymount dropped out of first place in the West Coast Athletic Conference after losing a double-header, 6-5 and 8-4, to Santa Clara University on Saturday.

The Lions will try to salvage the final game of a four-game series this afternoon at 1.

Loyola, ranked fifth in the nation by Collegiate Baseball and sixth by Baseball America, has lost four straight.

Loyola (15-4, 42-14 overall) fell to third behind Pepperdine (16-2-1, 31-20-1), which swept a double-header from the University of San Francisco, and Santa Clara (14-3-1, 36-14-1).

Loyola took a 5-4 lead in the sixth inning of the first game, scoring two runs on two hits, but a double by Jeff Healy drove in two runs for Santa Clara in the bottom of the seventh.

The Broncos led 6-2 after four innings in the second game. Loyola cut the lead to 6-4 in the sixth inning but could get no closer.

Darryl Scott (6-3) took the loss in the first game. Scott Neill (4-3) was the loser after going six innings in the second game.

Loyola hosts the final series of the season next weekend, a four-game set with Pepperdine.