Final Stats

Box Score

MALIBU, Calif. - Max Gamboa tossed 8.2 innings and struck out a career-high 13 batters for the Pepperdine baseball team, but couldn't come away with the win as he was out-dueled by California's Jared Horn and Erik Martinez in a 3-2 Bears victory on Saturday.

The Waves fall to 6-6 with the loss, while Cal improves to 6-7. The teams will finish their series tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. in Malibu.

Both teams put up six hits in the game, but a solo-home run in the sixth inning ended up being the difference for the visitors. Pepperdine jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Quincy McAfee doubled in a run.

Cal came back to take a 2-1 lead with two runs in the fifth, getting two RBI singles with two outs in the inning. Gamboa ended the inning with a pickoff. Andrew Vaughn's home run in the sixth inning made it a 3-1 game.

Matthew Kanfer came up with a pinch-hit RBI double in the seventh for the Waves to cut it back to a one-run game. The double greeted reliever Martinez, but would end up being the only hit the Waves managed off of the Bear's closer as he got the seven-out save. Jordan Qsar sent a ball to the wall in the bottom of the ninth, but the Cal centerfielder Jonah Davis crashed into the wall to make the catch.

Jared Horn tossed the first 6.2 innings for Cal, giving up five hits and two earned runs, while striking out eight and walking two.

Gamboa set career highs in both strikeouts and innings pitched in the game, while walking just two batters and scattering six hits. Michael Mahony got the final out of the top of the ninth for Pepperdine, striking out a batter with the bases loaded.

Chase Lambert went 2-for-3 to lead the Waves in hits. Vaughn was 2-for-4 at the plate.