Lions Use Hot Bats, Solid Pitching to Sweep Gaels

Loyola Marymount extended its conference winning streak to seven games with a doubleheader sweep of St. Mary’s here Saturday, 7-1 and 8-3.

The Lions, who entered the weekend in hot pursuit of Pepperdine in the West Coast Athletic Conference baseball race, combined explosive hitting with solid pitching, holding the fading Gaels to four hits in each game while collecting 24 in the doubleheader.

Right-hander Kalani Bush improved to 8-2 in the first game, giving up St. Mary’s only run in the first inning. The Lions struck for all seven runs in the fifth inning. Greg Wall got Loyola’s only extra-base hit, a double, while the Lions bunched 10 singles. They were aided by three St. Mary’s errors.

Joe Ciccarella, one of Loyola’s hottest hitters in the recent streak, led the second-game victory with two doubles and a three-run home run, his first of the season. The Lions scored a run in the first inning, three more in the second on Ciccarella’s homer, another in the fifth and the final three in the seventh, collecting 13 hits. St. Mary’s scored all its runs in the fifth and sixth innings against four Loyola pitchers.

Jon Willard got the victory to improve to 2-0, while Darryl Scott earned his third save.

Loyola, which also beat St. Mary’s Friday, improved to 25-18 overall and 9-1 in the WCAC. St. Mary’s is 14-29 and 2-12.

The teams finish their weekend series with a noon game today at Moraga.