Box Score Stockton, Calif. – The Pacific Tigers couldn't get the series win against Loyola Marymount Sunday, falling 7-4 as the Lions scored seven unanswered runs starting in the sixth to take the win and the series. Pacific drops to 17-20 overall and 8-10 in the WCC now, putting them in seventh place. Loyola Marymount is now 10-8 in conference.
Jake Jenkins entered the game having given up just four earned runs in his last two starts. Jenkins has allowed more than three runs in just one of his 12 appearances this year after going six innings and giving up one today. Jenkins struck out five and allowed just seven baserunners on five hits and two walks.
Fineas Del Bonta-Smith started the seventh inning but left after getting just one out and allowing three runs, only one of which was earned.
Blake Redman was pulled after three-plus innings for LMU. Redman gave up three runs but none earned while allowing eight hits and just two strikeouts in his eighth start. The junior took a no-decision despite leaving the game down 4-0.
Tyler Cohen got the victory for the Lions with three scoreless innings of relief. Sean Watkins got the save for LMU, pitching a scoreless ninth after DHing for the rest of the game.
Jenkins started the game with two swinging strikeouts as he blanked the Lions for the first five innings before giving up one in his final inning of play. The junior jumped on a first-pitch bunt by LMU's Cassidy Brown to end the inning and retired the first seven men he faced before allowing a walk.
Gio Brusa reached base for the 14th consecutive game when he sent the very first pitch he saw into rightfield on a line for a single. Brusa improved his WCC batting average to .413 with three hits today. Since starting 2x15 in conference, he has hit .500.
Nate Verlin singled on a two-strike pitch next to extend his hitting streak to six games, during which he has hit .500. The promising start to the second inning was put to rest when a double play erased Verlin and a foulout followed to end it scoreless.
The first baserunner for LMU came on a one-out walk in the third. Jenkins fought hard with LMU's Ryan Erickson to get the second out, eventually getting the swinging strikeout on the tenth pitch of the at-bat. Jenkins got an easy flyout after that to blank the Lions again.
Kevin Sandri kept fighting his way out of a recent slump by singling in the third. Sandri nearly got a whole lot more as a circuitous route by the centerfielder almost let the ball bounce past. The freshman has hits in his last three games now and has batted .333 with two runs in that time.
A bit of luck gave Pacific two baserunners once again. J.J. Wagner popped the ball up into left but found just the right spot to get the single. The ball hit the retreating third baseman's glove but ended up a hit as he couldn't hold onto the ball as he slid for it.
The bases were loaded when Louis Mejia lined the ball to left. The liner was too strong and stayed up to give the outfielder a play on it. However, the leftfielder couldn't close his glove and had it bounce right out to move everybody up a base.
Brusa had his second hit of the day when he crushed a liner at the first baseman in the shift. The fielder dove for it and got his glove on it but couldn't do anything but knock it down. Brusa was able to beat it out for the infield single as two runs scored with the runners on the move with the pitch.
Verlin followed Brusa with his second hit as well to make it 3-0. The sophomore first baseman hit a liner to center that just kept curving away from the centerfielder before landing up against the wall by the bullpen. The double scored Mejia easily from third for Verlin's fifth RBI in the last four games. Verlin has four of his eight extra-base hits at home as well as 16 of his 18 RBI.
Jenkins didn't give up a hit until two outs in the fourth inning when the Lions dropped a single in front of Brusa. Sandri ended the inning for Jenkins when he grabbed a grounder in the hole and made a jump throw to second to get the force out by inches.
The Tigers stayed on top on close plays when Blake Barry beat out an infield single by a hair to start the fourth. LMU's third baseman elected to field a ball that looked to have a chance to bounce foul and fired a rocket across the diamond. Barry's speed saved him and put him on.
Another dangerous Tiger threat manifested when J.P. Yakel's line drive was just out of reach of the second baseman. The single ended the day of Redman after three-plus innings of work and eight hits. The pitching change worked wonders for the Lions as Harrison Simon struck out both men he faced swinging to end the inning.
After Danny Mayer started the fifth with a walk despite falling behind 0-2, Verlin knocked his third hit in as many at-bats. Verlin once again found the gap between the outfielders as a flyball fell just between the center- and rightfielders, allowing Mayer to take third.
Lucas Halstead sent a flyball into foul territory that was caught on the run for the second out. The ball was deep enough for Mayer to test the outfielder's arm, and rightly so, as Mayer scored to make it 4-0. Verlin took second and then advanced to third on a throwing error.
The Lions scored in the sixth when they started the inning with three hits in a row. Two singles started it but the Tigers still got an out from it. Brusa fired the ball to Sandri as the runner tried to take third on the second single. At the same time, the batter pushed toward second, catching the runners in no-man's land as Sandri grabbed the throw. The freshman threw to first to get the out on it.
The run scored when LMU doubled two pitches later to score the runner on second and make it 4-1.
Verlin stabbed at a grounder that by all rights should have been an RBI single into rightfield and made the grab on the next batter. The sophomore was able to flip to Jenkins cover to get the out. The stymied LMU rally puttered out from there with Jenkins getting a lineout to end his appearance as Del Bonta-Smith came on for the seventh.
A leadoff double in the seventh helped LMU start a rally. The runner took third on an error after the first out pulled Verlin off the bag. Verlin threw back over to third and appeared to have the runner dead to rights but he was ruled safe at the bag. That runner scored on a single to rightfield one batter later to cut it to a two-run lead for Pacific.
After a pitching change, the Lions loaded the bases with a bloop that landed just out of the reach of Brusa, Louis Mejia, and Verlin. A strikeout followed but the Tigers lost their lead when Barry cut in on a ball that ended up over his head for a bases-clearing triple to make it 5-4 LMU.
Brusa added to his WCC-leading walk total with his 17th walk in conference play in the seventh. It was followed by another Verlin single to keep him perfect on the day at 4-for-4, though the sophomore would end up 4-for-5. Verlin now has multiple hits in four of his last five games.
Jordon Gonzalez came on in the ninth with one out and men on second and third. Sandri made yet another great defensive play to help lessen the pressure when he ranged from shallow on the dirt all the way to the leftfield foul line to get the second out and still hold the runners on base.
Unfortunately, Loyola Marymount still managed to add to their lead with a single to centerfield on a 1-2 count. Two men scored, making it 7-4 and giving LMU seven runs unanswered.
Watkins moved from DH to pitcher to get the save for the Lions in the three-run game. Watkins faced the top of Pacific's order and retired the first two men he faced. Mayer and Brusa singled but the two quick outs did in the Tigers, who couldn't score in the ninth.
The Tigers will play two games on the road and two at home this week, starting with a Tuesday matchup in Stockton against San Jose State at 6:30 pm. Pacific will then play a three-game series against UC Davis, with the Friday and Sunday games in Davis and the Saturday game in Stockton. That Saturday game will begin at 6:00 pm and will be fireworks night. Tickets for all home games are available online.
Make sure to follow Pacific baseball on Twitter with the username @PacificBaseball and on Instagram at pacificbaseball.
