The Loyola Marymount Lions (20-12, 9-3 WCC) fell behind early in their mid-week contest against San Diego State, giving up three in the first inning, cut it as close to one but ultimately fell to the Aztecs 4-2.
 
Drawing the starting assignment for the Lions was Mark Finkelnburg and the Aztecs were able to chase him from the game in the first after SDSU got three hits and a walk accounting for two of their three runs off the redshirt junior. Picking up for Finkelnburg was Josh Robins and with men on second and third SDSU's Mike Jarvis grounded out to Ryan Kawano, scoring Angelo Armenta for the Aztecs third and final run of the inning.
 
LMU got a run back in the top of the third after the speedy Dylan Hirsch dropped a bunt and then took second off the throwing error by Casey Schmitt. With a man in scoring position Nick Sogard sent an 0-2 Aaron Eden pitch to left field for the RBI single making the score 3-1.
 
The Lions had another chance to cut into SDSU's lead in the visiting half of the fifth after the Aztecs committed a fielding and throwing error putting Kawano on second and Hirsch on first. Sogard followed that up by singling to the right side loading the bases but the Lions were unable to cash in on the errors as Cooper Uhl grounded into the inning ending double play.
 
LMU kept the pressure on the Aztecs in the top of the sixth when junior Trevin Esquerra hit his team-leading 11^thhome run of the season sending a 3-2 Eden offering well over the right field wall giving the Lions their second run of the game. 
 
The Lions bullpen was the story for much of the night with the trio of Robins, Alexander Burge and Kyle Mora accounting for 7.2 innings of six hit baseball, striking out five, walking four while giving up one run. 
 
LMU almost escaped a jam in the bottom of the eighth but gave up an insurance run to the Aztecs in the form of a bases loaded walk. The Lions got the first two Aztec batters out but both Ryan Orr and Devyn Lopez singled then Matt Rudick walked loading the bases. With the bases full, Mora delivered a five pitch walk to Julian Escobedo giving the Aztecs their fourth run and sealing the 4-2 victory as LMU was unable to get anything in the ninth.
 
The Lions return home from their four-game road trip and venture back into conference play when they host the University of San Diego for a three-game weekend series with first pitch on Friday, April 12^thset for 6:00 p.m.