Loyola Stays in Race by Defeating Nevada : Baseball: Lions win two of three games in Reno to set up West Coast Conference showdown against Pepperdine.

The Loyola Marymount baseball team won two of three games from Nevada this weekend to set up a West Coast Conference showdown against Pepperdine on May 17-18.

The Lions (34-20 overall, 23-10 in conference play) remain a game and a half behind the Waves in WCC play after splitting a doubleheader at Reno on Saturday. Loyola lost the first game, 5-4, but won the second, 8-3.

The Lions won Friday’s series opener, 24-12.

“This is always a tough place to go in and sweep,” Loyola Coach Chris Smith said. “We needed a couple of wins and that’s what we did. It continues to increase our position for postseason play.”

The Lions had 25 hits in Friday’s game. Terrell Lowery went five for six and scored four runs. Three of his hits were doubles and he drove in four runs. He also hit his first home run of the season. Catcher Joe Testa was four for five with four runs batted in and Joe Ciccarella, who entered the game batting .439, went four for six, scored five runs, drove in four runs and had a double and a home run.

Second baseman Darrel Deak’s first-inning grand slam started the scoring in Saturday’s first game, but Reno scored twice in the second and fourth to tie the score. Reno won the game on Randy Olds’ inside-the-park home run in the fifth. Loyola’s Joe Caruso (8-4), who was last week’s WCC player of the week, was the losing pitcher.

Junior Pro of Reno won his second game against Loyola this season.

Deak hit a three-run home run and solo home run in the second game to help the Lions to a 5-0 lead after five innings.

Pitcher Chad Dembisky (11-4) went the distance--the first complete game for Loyola--to earn the victory. He allowed four hits, no walks and struck out eight.

Deak improved his average to .330 by going five for 10 in the series. He scored six times and had 10 RBIs. He has nine home runs.

The Lions have two nonconference games remaining before their three-game series against Pepperdine.