BASEBALL: CSUN SURPRISED BY LMU LMU 12, CSUN 7.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer

The guys playing only for pride competed with passion. The guys who five days ago were a winning streak shy of making a solid case for a regional berth seemed in a hurry to put the cap on their season.

Loyola Marymount's 12-7 win over host Cal State Northridge Tuesday was satisfying for the 18-37 Lions as it was excruciating for the 28-22 Matadors.

LMU, three-time defending West Coast Conference champion, lost 20 of its previous 23 games and started five freshmen.

Northridge, which almost inexplicably dropped two of three against Big West Conference bottom feeder Pacific, popped its own NCAA Regionals bubble with three losses in four games to teams a combined 8-35 in conference play.

``We're getting beat by teams we should beat,'' shortstop J.T. Stotts said. ``The last four games we've played, we didn't deserve to win.''

Certainly, snakebitten LMU lost games it should have won. But behind Tommy Perez's 5-for-5, four-RBI day, the Lions salvaged a smidgen of their bruised egos.

``Every time we go into play another game ... we still feel like we're better than every team we play,'' said Perez, a Burroughs High of Burbank graduate.

``Basically, that's all we have to play for. We're trying to spoil everyone's season if we can.''

Give Pacific an assist in sabotaging the Matadors, who failed to cash in when fellow Big West bubble teams Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Long Beach State lost their weekend series to Cal State Fullerton and UC Santa Barbara, respectively.

Perez led Tuesday's 14-hit attack with a home run and two doubles. Starting pitcher C.J. Wilson (3-10) helped himself with a two-run homer.