Dicochea Plays the Hero with Two-Homer Effort

LOS ANGELES – Christian Dicochea launched two homeruns in back-to-back innings and the Lions baseball team defeated the visiting Portland Pilots 9-7 at Page Stadium on Sunday afternoon. 

The Lions took the lead in the first after Dicochea doubled inside the third base line to open the inning. Diego Baqueiro lined a two-out single up the middle to plate Dicochea easily and give the Lions their first run.  

Portland answered in the top of the third inning with one run of their own before adding two in the fourth and one in the fifth.  

Facing a 4-1 deficit, the Lions started the comeback bid in the bottom of the sixth. Sam Biller led off the inning with a walk before advancing to third on a failed pickoff attempt. Khadim Diaw hit a towering ball that just missed the outstretched glove of the left fielder and clanked off the wall for a triple. He would score easily when Baqueiro doubled into the left-center field gap.  

Portland answered with one in the top of the seventh.  

Dicochea's first homerun came in the bottom of the seventh. Brett Zimmerman laced a double down the left field line to open the inning. Dicochea then launched a ball that just cleared the blue monster to tie the game at five.  

The Pilots got two more in the eighth, but it would not be enough to stifle the Lions.  

Daalen Adderley worked a one out walk before Grant Weiss was hit by a pitch. It was the 113th hit by pitch for the Lions this season, a new school record. Zimmerman flew out left field before Dicochea stepped up again. Dicochea went down 0-2 after fouling a pitch off his body hard, drilled a ball just over the blue monster and just fair to give the Lions a one-run lead.  

LMU added an insurance run after the homer as well. Biller was hit by a pitch before stealing second. Diaw lined a single into left field to plate Biller easily and mark the final tally.  

Ryan Mullan worked the final two innings to earn his third win. He got some help from the defense when, with a runner on first, Zimmerman laid out to snag a hard liner and turn a nifty double play by stepping on first. Mullan got the final batter to ground out to shortstop and send the Lions home with a hard-fought victory.  

The Lions have a small hiatus before back-to-back midweeks against UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton. The remaining weekend series in WCC play include a visit to Santa Clara before finishing up the season at home against San Francisco. With six conference games remaining, the Lions sit in seventh place.