LONG BEACH, CA - Loyola Marymount used a big fifth inning to secure a 7-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Panthers Saturday night in Long Beach, CA.

The game was a back-and-forth battle early, with both teams scoring in the first inning. Mika Chong got LMU on the board with a RBI triple, bringing home Izzy Jamgotchian to even the score at 1-1 after Pitt took advantage of an error in the top of the first.

The Lions added two more runs in the second, sparked by Justine Lambert's RBI, which plated Kelani Caster. Moments later, the Lions executed a double steal, with Sakora Harvell swiping home to put the LMU ahead 3-1.

Pitt cut the deficit to 3-2 in the third after an error allowed a run to score, but LMU's defense held strong the next two innings.

The turning point came in the bottom of the fifth when LMU loaded the bases with one out. That's when Caster stepped up and launched a grand slam over the wall, extending the lead to 7-2 and putting the game out of reach.

Pitt managed one more run in the seventh, but Jessica Hubbard closed out the game on the mound to seal the Lions victory.

Lindsay O'Dell earned the win, improving her record to 4-7. Lambert led the offense with a .382 batting average, followed by Jamgotchian at .339.

The Lions return to action Sunday, facing Cal Poly at 11:30 AM and host Long Beach State at 2 PM.