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Stockton, Calif. — BYU's late-season struggles continued Thursday night as the West Coast Conference baseball tournament got underway at Banner Island Ballpark.

The third-seeded Cougars — who entered the tournament fifth in the country in scoring and team batting average — could muster only three hits and fell 3-2 to second-seeded Loyola Marymount in a first-round game.

It was WCC regular-season tri-champion BYU's fourth-straight loss.

Top-seeded Gonzaga routed fourth-seeded Saint Mary's 11-3 in Thursday's first game, so BYU will meet SMC in an elimination game on Friday.

BYU (33-19) never led against the Lions, and wasted an outstanding pitching performance by Brady Corless.

Loyola Marymount took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning on a two-run homer by Niko Decolati off Corless, who was given the starting nod by coach Mike Littlewood over regular series-opening starter Maverik Buffo.

After getting just one hit off LMU starter Brenton Arriaga in the first three innings, the Cougars cut the deficit in half in the top of the fourth when Brock Hale singled through the left side to score Keaton Kringlen.

After LMU coach Jason Gill was ejected in the fifth inning, the Lions tacked on an unearned run in that frame on an RBI single by Decolati. Nick Sogard scored what turned out to be the winning run after advancing on a BYU throwing error.

The Cougars cut the deficit to 3-2 in the sixth by drawing four consecutive walks. However, LMU reliever Codie Paiva got both Nate Favero and David Clawson to pop out with the bases loaded to preserve the Lions' lead. Clawson was pinch-hitting for Kyle Dean.

Corless, a junior, struck out eight batters and allowed just two earned runs but fell to 6-1 for the season. He was lifted in the eighth inning after allowing a leadoff double. Mason Marshall came on in relief and eventually pitched his way out of a bases-loaded jam with no outs.

Marshall got Sogard to ground into a double play to end the inning unscathed after shortstop Daniel Schneeman threw a base-runner out at home.

However, BYU went down 1-2-3 In the top of the ninth. LMU's Paiva got Nate Favero to fly out to center, Noah Hill to strike out and Brennon Anderson to fly out to left to get the save and help Arriaga improve to 7-2.

The Cougars are trying to get into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002, but now must win four games to claim the automatic berth that goes to the conference tournament champion.