A Sweeping Statement by Loyola Marymount : Baseball: Lions take doubleheader from St. Mary’s to complete their first sweep of a series in 1992.

Saturday was a day of firsts for the Loyola Marymount baseball team against visiting St. Mary’s.

The Lions swept their first doubleheader of the season, 7-5 and 9-8, to complete their first series sweep. On Friday the Lions beat the Gaels, 8-7, in 10 innings.

It also hurt St. Mary’s chance of winning the West Coast Conference. The Gaels, who started the series in second place, slipped to 19-27 and 12-12.

“(St. Mary’s) had something in their press release about how they were going to win and make the playoffs and we swept them,” said pitcher Shawn Hammett, who earned the victory in the second game after giving up only five hits in 6 1/3 innings of relief.

“This is good for the team,” he said. “I hate to admit it, but it’s getting toward the end of the season and hopefully this will be good for the future.”

The Lions (19-27, 12-12) battled back from three deficits to win the second game.

Trailing, 3-0, in the second inning, Loyola tied the score on a run-scoring double by Jesse Ibarra and a towering two-run home run to left field by Chad Nichols.

After St. Mary’s took a 6-3 lead in the top of the third, the Lions tied the score with runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings.

The Gaels took a 7-6 lead in the top of the seventh when Demerius Pittman scored on a wild pitch by Hammett. But Loyola went ahead to stay with three runs in the bottom of the inning thanks to four hits. St. Mary’s reliever James Ivaldi helped Loyola’s cause with two wild pitches.

Hammett survived a scare in the ninth, giving up a run and three hits before stopping the Gaels to improve to 3-8. St. Mary’s starter Brett Fulton, who entered the game with the top earned-run average on his team at 2.77, gave up 13 hits and nine runs as his record dropped to 4-3.

“We finished it off and that’s something we’ve been talking about,” Coach Jody Robinson said.

After Loyola lost an 11-2 lead in a 19-18 loss to Chapman on Tuesday, Robinson did more than talk. He put the team through a tiring workout after they returned to Loyola.

“We met back at the field and the ones that were capable ran and the others did sit-ups and pushups,” Robinson said. “It wasn’t something we usually do but it got their concentration and I think today it reminded them that they have to finish it off.”

In the first game, Lion reliever Bob Noson earned his first save. He took over for starter Shane Bowers (3-4) in the sixth inning and gave up only two hits in the final two innings.

St. Mary’s took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Tim Shaffer scored on an infield out. But the Lions scored two runs in the second and third innings for a 4-1 lead.

Loyola secured the victory with a three-run rally in the fourth, which was capped by a run-scoring single by designated hitter Butch Bucher.

St. Mary’s starter Nick Lymberopoulos gave up 10 hits in losing his fourth game in seven decisions.