Final Stats

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Pepperdine baseball team came up just short on the road at No. 16 UC Santa Barbara, falling 4-3 to the Gauchos despite a pair of late runs.

Pepperdine drops to 20-19 with the loss, while UC Santa Barbara improves to 30-10-1. The teams have split their season series, 1-1, with each team winning at home.

The Gauchos got their first two runners of the game on base and then singled home a run with no out. Pepperdine starter Kiko Garcia (Chula Vista, Calif./St. Augustine HS) settled down, though, striking out the next two batters and then getting a popup to limit the damage and end the inning.

UC Santa Barbara again threatened in the bottom of the third, getting two runners on with no outs, but new pitcher Max Green (Rolling Hills Estate, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) struck out two batters and picked a runner off at second to end the inning.

Just two pitches into the top of the fourth, Manny Jefferson (Lakewood, Calif./Lakewood HS) would tie the game with a solo-shot to left. It was Jefferson's 11th home run of the season.

A Pepperdine error in the bottom of the fifth gave the lead back to the home team as UCSB scored on a Wave throwing error. An RBI single by Clay Fisher would follow to make it a 3-1 game. The Gauchos added a fourth run on a double by Josh Adams.

The Waves would get one run back in the seventh after Chase Lambert (Malibu, Calif./Malibu HS) led off the inning with a triple and then was brought home on a Matt Gelalich (La Verne, Calif./Bonita HS) single, making it a 4-2 game.

Brad Anderson made it a one-run game in the top of the eighth, hitting his eighth home run of the year. The long ball came one pitch after Gauchos' pitcher Trevor Bettencourt picked a Pepperdine runner off at first. That was the last run the Waves could come up with, as the rally fell just short on the road.

Matthew Kanfer (Playa Del Rey, Calif./L.A.C.E.S.) went 3-for-5 at the plate to lead the Waves and Anderson had two hits including the homer. Fisher posted a three-hit day for the Gauchos.

The Waves will be back in action later this week as they host first-place BYU for a three-game WCC series starting on Thursday. All three games against the Cougars can be seen live on TheW.tv.