STOCKTON, Calif. – The Pacific softball team dropped the second game of the three-game series against San Diego, falling 3-2, Saturday afternoon at Bill Simoni Field.
 
The Tigers (11-28, 1-4) fell behind early as the Toreros (19-25, 4-1) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning. Bethany Hammer earned the start in the circle for the Tigers, her ninth start of the season, and gave up two earned runs on three hits in three innings of work. The redshirt senior from Placerville, Calif., has only given up three earned runs in her last three outings and has totaled 42 strikeouts this season, ranking second-best on the team.
 
Avery Croxall entered the game in relief for the second straight contest and pitched a gem. Croxall pitched four solid innings, allowing only five baserunners en route to her first scoreless outing of at least two innings pitched this season. The sophomore from Pleasant Grove, Calif., has only allowed two earned runs in the last 8.2 innings, lowering her earned-run average to 4.07.
 
Rian Dirmeyer pulled the Tigers to within one run in the sixth inning as she recorded a home run in back-to-back games for the first time in her career, a two-run shot over the left-field fence. Carly Lucchetti, who led off the inning with her third triple of the season, scored the Tiger's first run of the game on Dirmeyer's team-leading eighth home run of the season.
 
"It was a typical pitching duel," Head coach Brian Kolze stated after the game. "It had nothing to do with effort; it came down to execution, but I was proud of how we competed and how well the pitchers threw."
 
Due to weather and travel, the second game of the doubleheader was postponed and will be made up at a later date.
 
Pacific returns to action on Saturday, April 23, as the Tigers travel to face off against Loyola Marymount in a West Coast Conference doubleheader starting at noon.