SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Pepperdine baseball team got a grand slam from Billy Cook in game one of a double header with UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, but the Gauchos made a comeback to take the game 9-7. The Gauchos then defeated the Waves 5-0 in game two.
 
The Waves (1-5) had a huge five-run third inning of game one, capped off by Cook's homer, but the Gauchos (5-1) outscored the Waves 9-1 after going down 5-0 to take the game. In game two, UC Santa Barbara held the Waves hitless until the eighth inning.
 
BIG WAVES

• Junior infielder Wyatt Young (Honolulu, Hawaii/Mid Pacific Institute) had the best day for the Waves, going a combined 4-for-8 on the day, including a home run in the top of the ninth of game one, and the Waves' only hit in game two.
• Freshman outfielder Connor Bradshaw (New Rochelle, N.Y./Trinity-Pawling HS) had two hits in game one and scored a run.
• Senior utility Billy Cook (Monument, Colo./Lewis Palmer HS) got his first home run of the year, a third-inning grand slam in game one.

 
GAME 1 RECAP
 
In the third inning of game one, Connor Bradshaw led off the inning with a double. He then scored on after John Peck reached on an error. Quintt Landis also reached on an error to put runners on first and second. Wyatt Young then walked, and Billy Cook hit a monster home run deep over the scoreboard in right field, his first home run of the season, a grand slam. After three innings of play, the Waves led 5-0.
 
The Gauchos answered back in the bottom of the fourth when, after two walks and a passed ball UC Santa Barbara got an RBI single to cut the lead to two runs. After another walk, another RBI single was hit, this time scoring two runs. The Gauchos got another RBI single that would have scored two runs, but Cook threw a laser from center field, keeping the second run from scoring. Gunnar Groen, who started the game, left with two outs in the inning. Jack Baird came in, and the Gauchos tied the game on a wild pitch. After four innings, the game was locked at 5.
 
After two innings of no scoring, the Waves retook the lead in the seventh on an RBI groundout from Aharon Modlin. Landis led off the inning with a double down the line, and was moved to third on a bunt single from Young. After a Cook groundout, Modlin grounded a ball to short, where the Gauchos were playing normal depth, allowing Landis to cross the plate. The Gauchos then tied the game back at six on an RBI double play.
 
UC Santa Barbara took the lead in the eighth inning on a fielder's choice. The Gauchos then got a 2-RBI single to take a three-run lead, which they would hold onto to take the victory.
 
GAME 2 RECAP
 
In the second game of the day, the Gauchos scored first, scoring their run on an RBI groundout in the bottom of the second inning. UC Santa Barbara then got an RBI single down the left field line to plate a second run in the inning.
 
In the fourth, the Gauchos got another RBI single to push their lead to 3-0 through four.
 
An RBI double in the bottom of the sixth gave the Gauchos a 4-0 lead. Another run was scored in the sixth on an RBI single.
 
The Waves got their first hit in the top of the eighth inning, a double from Young. Pepperdine loaded the bases with two outs but could not get any runs across.
 
UP NEXT
The Waves and Gauchos meet for the fourth time this weekend on Sunday back at Eddy D. Field Stadium in Malibu, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.