Stockton, Calif. - Continually upping himself from week to week, sophomore Will Lydon (1-6) finally put it all together as he tossed a 12-strikeout gem to pitch the Tigers past the Waves, 5-4, on Friday night at Klein Family Field. The 12 strikeouts bested his previous high of 10 set a week prior and helped the sophomore to his first win of the season. For the Tigers (6-22, 5-6 WCC), Lydon's big night helped them reign in Pepperdine (16-16, 6-5 WCC) as Pacific snapped the Waves five-game winning streak and evened the weekend series at a game a piece.

Controlling the pace of the game from the opening pitch, Lydon kept the Waves off balance throughout the contest as he allowed just five hits a night after the Waves tallied 15 hits against the Tigers. Using a brilliant mix of fastballs and off-speed pitches, Lydon had the Waves routinely guessing wrong as they came up empty swing after swing. On the night, Lydon struck out the side three different times, including a back-to-back effort in the fourth and fifth innings of work. In all, Lydon's final line read 7.0 IP, five hits, four runs, only three earned, while walking three and striking out 12. He would exit prior to the start of the eighth with the lead thanks to his offense that was able to get to starter, Ryan Wilson (5-1), for just enough run support to hand the Waves' freshman his first collegiate loss.

The Tigers offense scored in three different innings on the night as they came up with two runs in the second, two more in the fourth, and what would be the game-winning run in the fifth. Leading the attack as he did the night before, Louis Mejia stayed red-hot as the junior finished the contest 3-for-4 with a run scored and the game-winning RBI.

Mejia kick started the scoring for the Tigers in the second when he hit a leadoff ground-rule double to right-center. After moving to third on a bunt, he would trot home for the first run of the game when J.J. Wagner shot one back up the middle for the RBI single. After making things happen with a steal of second, Wagner came in to score himself as the Tigers put together back-to-back singles, the last of which was a bloop single to right-center by Jimmy Gosano for the RBI. 

Both of Pacific's runs were in response to the Waves beginning the scoring in the top half of the inning as they took advantage of a pair of leadoff singles to start the two-run rally. Both runs would score on sacrifice flys as Lydon was able to settle down and end the inning with no further damage. Pepperdine added a third run in the top of the third when the Waves retook the lead on a leadoff home run by Hutton Moyer, his second home run of the weekend.

Despite trailing, the Tigers would show back up in a big way in support of their sophomore on the mound when Pacific took the lead for good in the fourth with a two-run home run off the bat of freshman Lucas Halstead. Having already been in the middle of the scoring in the second with an infield single, Halstead left no doubt in his second at bat when he crushed a 1-0 pitch by Wilson over the wall in left-center to put Pacific ahead by one. The home run was the first of Halstead's career in his just his second career start for the Tigers and was the 15th of the season for Pacific.

Up one, the Tigers added an insurance run that would prove to be the difference an inning later when Mejia came up big once again, driving home Gio Brusa from second for the fifth and final run of the game. Brusa had run his way into scoring position by swiping second after reaching on a fielder's choice two batters before Mejia came to the plate.

With the fifth run on the board, the Waves were able to sneak another run across in the seventh when an infield single turned into a fourth run against Lydon after two passed balls put the runner at third with only one-out in the inning. Another sacrifice fly brought in the run for Pepperdine.

Up one and having thrown 121 pitches, Lydon turned the game over to his bullpen where Michael Hager and Vince Arobio combined for two perfect innings of work. Hager pitched the eighth for the Tigers, picking up with Lydon left off as he struck out a pair around a weak ground ball to second. In the ninth, Arobio (4) grabbed his fourth save of the year as he too struck out a batter in between a fly ball and a comeback that ended the game.

Pacific will look for the series victory on Saturday afternoon as the two teams meet at 2:00 pm for the rubber game at Klein Family Field. In addition to the fun on the field, the Tigers will host their 2nd Annual Bark In The Ballpark in conjuncture with United Way.