Final Stats

Box Score

PROVO, Utah - Despite tying the game late, the Pepperdine baseball team dropped a 5-3 decision at BYU on Friday night. The Waves won the opener against the Cougars last night.

Pepperdine scored twice in the seventh inning to even the game, but the home team came up with runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth to go ahead for good.

The Waves struck first on the day, getting a leadoff solo-homer from Manny Jefferson (Lakewood, Calif./Lakewood HS). Pepperdine took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth, but Colton Shaver and Bronson Larsen drove in runs to put the Cougars ahead. BYU added a run in the sixth to go up 3-1.

Pepperdine got an RBI-single from Aaron Barnett (Mission Viejo, Calif./Capistrano Valley HS) and a sacrifice fly from Jeremy Goldenetz (Corona, Calif./Corona Santiago HS) in the seventh to even the game at 3-3. Tanner Chaunchey gave BYU the game-winning run in the bottom half of the seventh, however, with an RBI single and the Cougars added an insurance run in the eighth.

Pepperdine put runners in scoring position in both the eighth and ninth innings, but couldn't push a run across.

A.J. Puckett (Danville, Calif./De La Salle HS) took the loss for the Waves, working into the seventh inning in the start. BYU reliever Keaton Cenatiempo picked up the win.

Jefferson was 2-for-2 on the day at the plate, driving in one run and scoring two more for the Waves. The homer was Jefferson's third of the year and the sophomore shortstop also now leads the team with a .321 average.

Four BYU players had two-hit days. Pepperdine had seven hits while the Cougars posted 12 on the day.

The loss drops the Waves to 9-10 overall, 1-1 WCC, while BYU improves to 8-11, 1-1 WCC. The two teams finish their three-game series tomorrow at noon. That game will also be broadcast nationally on BYUtv.