Los Angeles - In the finale of a three game conference series, the Pacific Softball team was edged 3-2 by Loyola Marymount in eight innings. The Tigers fall to 15-23 (4-2 WCC) while LMU sits at 20-19 (1-5 WCC) after the extra inning triumph.

Loyola Marymount struck first against Pacific starter senior Tori Shepard (5-10), as Sterling Shuster drove a ball to straight away center field to give the Lions a 1-0 advantage with two down in the bottom of the first.  Shepard would recover, striking out Alex Finie for her first strikeout of the game.

Pacific would load the bases in the top of the third frame, but would not score. In the top of the fourth, The Tigers leveled the score at 1-1 in the top of the fourth against LMU starter Rachael Farrington (6-7). Sophomore Melanie Habib singled through the right side, and took second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Bailey O'Mara. O'Mara reached first safely as Farrington made an errant throw to first base on the bunt attempt. After junior Alex Steinmehl struck out looking for the first out of the inning, the Tigers got on the scoreboard thanks to a Cassidy Gustafson sacrifice fly.

Shepard delivered a shutdown inning in the bottom of the fourth, working around a two-out walk to Stephanie Maciel.  After the Tigers went down in order in the top of the fifth, the Lions regained the lead on a two-out home run by Meghan Von Behren, on a fly ball to left field.

Pacific's offense responded immediately, as sophomore Nicole Zapotoczny singled down the left field line to begin the top of the sixth. Habib hit a ground ball to first base, but Alex Finie threw errantly to second base attempting to get the lead runner out and the Tigers had runners on first and second with no out.  

O'Mara laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Zapotoczny and Habib into scoring position for Steinmehl. Steinmehl appeared initially to ground out, but Finie couldn't glove the throw from shortstop and Zapotoczny scored an unearned run to tie the score at 2-2.

The score would hold as Shepard and Farrington swapped scoreless frames in the bottom of the sixth and top of the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh, Shepard walked two Lions, but pitched around the baserunners without allowing a run and the game went into extra innings.

The Tigers had a chance in the top of the eighth as Zapotoczny led off the inning with a single through the right side of the infield and Habib delivered a sacrifice bunt, moving Zapotoczny to second. O'Mara and Steinmehl grounded out, ending the threat and sending LMU back into the dugout for the bottom of the eighth.

Meghan Harman walked to begin the inning and with one out, Shuster singled to center field. Finie hit a comebacker to Shepard who threw to first for the out, but both runners advanced into scoring position. Maciel delivered a walk-off single over the head of Gustafson at third base, sending the Lions to a 3-2 win in extra frames.

Shepard threw 7.2 five-hit innings, striking out six in defeat.  Farrington went eight full innings, striking out two without allowing an earned run.

For Pacific, senior Gabby Goyette and Zapotoczny etched tallied two hits while sophomore Sara Anderson, Habib and Gustafson had one single apiece.

The Tigers outhit the Lions, 7-5 and also benefitted from four Loyola Marymount errors.

Pacific will return to action at 3:00 pm on  Friday, April 18 against St. Mary's in Moraga, Calif. as WCC play continues.

Be sure to follow @PacificSoftball on Twitter and Instagram for the latest.