Box Score

Sophomore Jamey Smart came to the plate with the bases loaded and two out in the seventh inning of a 4-2 game, and he laced a three-RBI triple over the head of centerfielder Blake Barry to clear the bases and hand LMU a 5-4 lead it would not relinquish en route to a 7-4 victory at Pacific on Sunday. With the win, LMU (20-20, 10-8 WCC) earned a series victory over the Tigers (17-20, 8-10 WCC).

LMU trailed 4-0 headed into the sixth inning after the Tigers scored three unearned runs in the third inning off of LMU starter, Blake Redman, and added one more in the fifth. Redman lasted just 3.0 innings, allowing the three unearned runs on eight hits with two strikeouts, but ultimately took a no-decision after LMU came back to win.

Junior Tyler Cohen earned the victory and moved to 3-3 on the year after tossing 3.0 scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit and a walk with two strikeouts.

The Lions struggled to get to Pacific starter, Jake Jenkins, as the right-hander dealt the first five scoreless innings. Phil Caulfield, who finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI hitting out of the leadoff spot, led off the sixth inning with a single before ultimately coming around on an RBI-double from Cassidy Brown to finally put LMU on the board and cut the lead to 4-1.

LMU took advantage of a costly error charged to third baseman JJ Wagner in the seventh, as Sean Watkins doubled and moved to third on an errant throw from Wagner that allowed pinch-hitter Jimmy Hill III to reach. Caulfield followed with an RBI-single to bring home Watkins before Erdman, who went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, singled down the right field line off of reliever Vince Arobio to load the bases. After Arobio struck out Brown for the second out, which would have ended the inning without the error, Smart came to the plate and delivered the triple to hand LMU the lead and put Arobio in line for the loss â€" dropping him to 0-1 on the year.

The Lions tacked on two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth as freshman Niko Decolati punched a two-RBI single back up the middle to plate Erdman and Brown and extend the Lion lead to 7-4.

Watkins entered in the ninth to preserve the lead, allowing a pair of two-out singles to bring the tying run to the plate, but he got Nate Verlin to fly out to centerfield to end the game. Verlin finished the game 4-for-5 with a double and a RBI.

LMU will continue a string of five games in five days on Monday when it returns home to host Hawaii at 6 p.m. from Page Stadium.