Final Stats

MORAGA, Calif. " Matt Kanfer of the Pepperdine baseball team hit a grand slam in the top of the third inning, followed by a solo home run from Jordan Qsar to help lift the Waves over Saint Mary's on Friday at Louis Guisto Field. The win gave the Waves a two-game lead over Saint Mary's in the West Coast Conference standings.

The Waves (27-18, 15-7) started Cooper Chandler on the Mound, getting 5.1 innings from the freshman, who picked up his fifth win on the year, striking out five Gaels () in the process.

BIG WAVES

• Junior Matthew Kanfer (Playa Del Ray, Calif./L.A.C.E.S.) went 1-for-5 on the day, but his one hit was a big one, putting a ball over the wall with the bases loaded for his fourth home run of the year.
• Junior Jordan Qsar (El Cajon, Calif., Valhalla HS) went 2-for-5 including his eighth home run on the year, leading the team.
• Sophomore Brandt Belk (Houston, Texas/Westside HS) went 1-for-4, hitting a triple down the right field line, plating two runs in the sixth.
• Sophomore Duncan McKinnon (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Redondo Union HS) went 2-for-2 on the day, scoring two runs and drove in another.
• Freshman Cooper Chandler (Frisco, Texas/Wakeland HS) threw 5.1 innings, giving up seven hits and three runs.

PLAY-BY-PLAY

In the third inning, after two innings of scoreless baseball, Duncan McKinnon hit a single up the middle to lead off the inning. After a single from Dempsey Grover, Brandt Belk walked to load the bases. Matthew Kanfer was due up next, and after taking a strike he belted a ball over the right field wall for a grand slam. The next batter up was Jordan Qsar who promptly hit a ball the opposite way over the left field wall, giving the Waves a 5-0 lead after three and a half innings.

The Gaels got four runs back in the home half of the third inning, to cut the Waves lead to one after three innings.

In the sixth inning, the Waves got three straight singles, the last from McKinnon to plate Cory Wills, giving the Waves their sixth run. Belk came up and hit a triple down the line, scoring two runs, pushing the score to 9-4 in favor of the Waves.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Gaels got two runs, but could not complete the comeback, cementing the victory for the Waves.

UP NEXT

The Waves take on the Gaels in the second game of the series Saturday at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on theW.tv.

FOLLOW

Follow @PeppBaseball on Facebook and Twitter for immediate updates, results and more. Go to PepperdineWaves.com for all information, releases and schedules.