Final Stats

Box Score

MALIBU, Calif. - The Pepperdine baseball team dropped its series finale to San Francisco, 3-1, on Sunday afternoon.

Pepperdine made a late rally, but left two runners on in the bottom of the ninth to fall to 13-13 overall and 4-5 in West Coast Conference play. San Francisco moves to 9-21, 4-5 WCC.

The Dons salvaged the last game of the series after Pepperdine took the first two, getting a brilliant pitching performance from James Kannenberg. The junior righty tossed eight scoreless innings for the visitors, giving up four hits and now walks on the day.

Pepperdine made it interesting after Kannenberg exited before the ninth inning, getting a leadoff homer from Matthew Kanfer (Playa Del Rey, Calif./L.A.C.E.S.) to make it a 3-1 game. Brad Anderson (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS) and Manny Jefferson (Lakewood, Calif./Lakewood HS) hit back-to- back singles to give the Waves a pair of runners on with one out. Brandon Caruso (Pasadena, Calif./Loyola HS) hit a ball to the track on the next at-bat and then the third USF pitcher of the inning got a strikeout to end the game.

The Dons scored two runs on a double by Ross Puskarich in the fourth inning and then got an RBI-single from Nico Giarratano in the eighth to go up by three.

The Waves actually out-hit USF, 7-5, but left six runners on base. Kanfer was 2-for-4 to lead Pepperdine. Puskarich was 2-for-4 for the visitors.

Easton Lucas (Simi Valley, Calif./Grace Brethren HS) got the start and gave up just three hits and two runs in his 4.1 innings pitched, but suffered the loss to move to 2-4. Chandler Blanchard (Henderson, Nev./Coronado HS) tossed 3.2 innings in relief, giving up one hit and one run. Kiko Garcia (Chula Vista, Calif./St. Augustine HS) pitched a scoreless ninth for Pepperdine.

Kannenberg moved to 3-2 with the win and Jeremy Carney got the save for the Dons.

Pepperdine hits the road next week, traveling to USC for a Tuesday contest, before going to Santa Clara for a three-game WCC series over the weekend.