Final Stats

Box Score

MALIBU, Calif. -- The Pepperdine baseball team posted a dominant 8-0 win over San Diego to open a crucial West Coast Conference series on Thursday afternoon.

A.J. Puckett gave the Waves a stellar 7.0 innings on the mound and Brad Anderson drove in five runs to power Pepperdine to victory. The Waves move to 10-10 overall, 2-2 WCC with the win and San Diego falls to 12-11, 1-3 WCC.

Pepperdine got on the board first, scoring a pair of runs in the opening inning after loading the bases with no outs. Anderson (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS) singled to right field, bringing home a pair of runs to give the Waves the early advantage. Torero starter Nick Sprengel was able to work out of the jam and limit the damage initially.

San Diego threatened in the top of the fifth, loading the bases with two outs courtesy of a Wave error. Puckett (Danville, Calif./De La Salle HS) got a slow grounder to second to end the threat, though, and keep the Toreros off the board.

Anderson continued his big day in the bottom of the fifth, homering to centerfield with a runner on first to make it a 4-0 Pepperdine lead. Matthew Kanfer (Playa Del Rey, Calif./L.A.C.E.S.) tacked on two more runs in the sixth inning for the Waves with a single to left field.

Puckett tossed 7.0 brilliant innings for Pepperdine, holding the Toreros scoreless for the duration of his outing while giving up just five hits, striking out nine batters and allowing no walks. Puckett lowered his ERA to 1.88 with the start and has not given up an earned run in his last three appearances.

Jonathan Pendergast (San Diego, Calif./Catherdral Catholic HS) came in to relieve the Waves' ace to start the eighth inning, setting down the San Diego batters in order to preserve the 6-0 lead. Pendergast stayed on to work the ninth, stranding runner on first and second with a strikeout to end the game.

Anderson drove in his fifth run of the day in the bottom of the eighth with a single to leftfield as part of a two-run inning. The Pepperdine first-baseman finished the game 3-for-5 at the plate. Kanfer led all batters with a 4-for-5 day, driving in two runs and scoring one. Pepperdine posted 12 hits on the day.

The win moved Puckett to 3-2 on the year, while Sprengel fell to 2-4. San Diego had six hits on the day.

The second game of the series between the teams will be Friday at 3 p.m. in Malibu. That game will be broadcast on TheW.tv as part of the WCC's "Friday Night Baseball" series.