Stockton, Calif. - Kicking off a three-game series to end the WCC Regular season, the Pacific baseball team suffered a 4-0 setback against Loyola Marymount on Friday, May 16 at Klein Family Field. The loss dropped the Tigers to 25-25 on the season and 14-11 in conference play while the Lions improved to 29-21 on the year and 16-9 in conference play.

One big mistake in the top of the fourth inning cost the Tigers dearly as the Lions were able to score four times in the inning to take command of the contest. LMU did not waste the free out issued to them on Pacific's error in the field as the Lions scored three times after the mistake, knocking junior Mike Hager (4-5) from the game. Junior Michael Benson would enter the game and stop the bleeding, but the damage proved to be too much for the Tigers to overcome. Benson would finish the game for the Tigers, providing 5.1 innings of scoreless relief as he allowed just three hits and struck out one out of the pen.

The Tigers had their chances early against the Lions' ace, Colin Welmon (9-2), as Pacific put runners on in the first innings of play only to come up empty. The best chance for the Tigers came in the bottom of the third when junior Jimmy Gosano led the inning off with a double off the wall, but Welmon proceed to get the next three Tigers and get out of the jam. He would retire 12 straight before sophomore Gio Brusa singled up the middle in the seventh.

Gosano would finish the game with a pair of hits to lead the way for the Tigers as Pacific mustered five hits against Welmon. The LMU junior finished the contest for the Lions for his third complete game of the season and second shutout. The shutout marked just the second time in 2014 the Tigers have been held scoreless. LMU grabbed 10 hits led by Ted Boeke who went 4-for-4 from the No. 9 spot in the order.

The Tigers will be playing for their postseason lives on Saturday, May 17 needing in the final two games of the series to earn a berth in the upcoming WCC Championships. The second game of the series is scheduled for 2:00 pm at Klein Family Field.