Batters Make Difference as Loyola Tops Conference, Makes Top 10 Nationally : Baseball: Lions hitters are batting a combined .355 this season to bolster some shaky pitching.

Hockey’s L.A. Kings isn’t the only team off Manchester Avenue showing some strong stick work these days.

The Loyola Marymount baseball team, which had an 11-game winning streak snapped this week, resumes West Coast Conference play today at San Francisco with a two-game lead over Pepperdine.

The Lions (31-10 overall, 17-5 in the WCC) have vaulted into the top 10 in both major-college polls, and have been able to overcome some shaky pitching by battering opposing staffs for a .335 team average. Even in losing to Pepperdine, 7-6, on Tuesday, the Lions had a six-run rally in the ninth inning and left the tying run on third base against the Waves’ ace, Britt Craven.

The Lions’ recent streak included wins over non-conference foes USC and California as well as some wild WCC wins, 10-9 and 11-9, over St. Mary’s last weekend. The Lions averaged 9.4 runs during the streak, 8.4 for the season.

“It’s almost remarkable with our lack of depth on the mound that we’ve done as well as we have,” said Lions Coach Chris Smith. “The big difference from last year is we’re playing much better defense. (Shortstop) Chris Gomez has been an outstanding freshman. (Catcher) Miah Bradbury is as good as they come in college baseball.

“We’ve just gotta keep scoring runs and play good defense. We’ve patched (the pitching) along pretty well.”

Gomez, an all-CIF star at Lakewood High last year, has stepped in to hit .357 with a team-high 17 doubles while starting all but two games. Two others who have bolstered the team are transfers Rick Mediavilla, leading the WCC with a .401 average, and Tony Kounas, hitting .377 with a team-high 11 home runs.

The other heavy hitter has been junior Tim Williams, hitting .343 with nine home runs and battling for the conference lead in runs batted in with 46. He platooned his first two seasons but has started every game this year. “Nobody questioned he could have that kind of year,” Smith said of the former St. Bernard High standout. “He’s a real fine hitter. Now he’s in every day, knowing he’s going to be in the lineup.”

Bradbury, who holds the school record for career doubles with 68, is hitting .314 with 41 RBIs but Smith said his real value has been in holding together the patched-up pitching staff.

“It makes a big difference when you have a guy like Bradbury behind the plate,” he said. “The team will go as Bradbury goes. Day in, day out, he’s the hardest worker I’ve ever seen. He calls a great game. Team chemistry is a great thing. . . . Ours starts with Bradbury.”

Left-hander Jon Willard has been the pitching leader at 9-2, but Smith didn’t use him Tuesday and plans to hold him out until Saturday to let him rest his arm. Darryl Scott, the team’s relief ace as an underclassman, is 8-2 as a starter this season. Among the other starters, Chris Spears is 5-0, Joe Caruso is 4-2 and Steve Surico is 2-2. However, Caruso and Surico are struggling with earned-run averages above five.

Smith plans to start Surico today at the University of San Francisco, then Caruso and Willard in Saturday’s double-header there. But it’s been tough to stick to a rotation. “Nothing goes like that with our staff,” Smith admitted.

USF, which struggled with injuries early in the season, is in last place in the WCC at 4-18 (11-26 overall). But the Dons took one game from Loyola in Los Angeles, 10-9, and can hit. Outfielder Arnie Sambel leads the WCC in homers with 14.

“They’re tough. It’ll be a difficult weekend,” Smith said. “There was a time in this league you looked to sweep. Now you look to win series. The league is a lot better. We’ve had dogfights. I like the league better this way.”

The Lions play their next nine games on the road, playing nationally ranked Long Beach State at 2 p.m. Tuesday. They don’t return to conference play again until April 27 at San Diego.