MALIBU, Calif. – The Pepperdine baseball team got back-to-back home runs from
Justin Lutes and
Billy Cook in the fifth inning on Saturday en route to an 8-4 victory over Santa Clara, evening the weekend series at one game apiece.
The Waves (16-22, 8-12 WCC) scored six runs in three innings, proving too much for the Broncos (15-28, 8-18 WCC).
BIG WAVES
- Senior infielder Justin Lutes (Las Vegas, Nev./College of Southern Nevada) hit a go-ahead three run home run in the fifth inning that traveled over 400 feet to right field. He also had a double in the second inning.
- Senior utility Billy Cook (Monument, Colo./Lewis Palmer HS) hit a solo home run just two pitches after Lutes' home run in the fifth. He also had an RBI triple in the second inning to get the Waves on the board.
- Freshman outfielder Charles Masino (Newbury Park, Calif./Oaks Christian HS) went 3-for-4 on the day with an RBI double.
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Pepperdine got the scoring going in the bottom of the second.
Justin Lutes doubled and then was brought in on a
Billy Cook triple. Cook then scored on a wild pitch to put the Waves up 2-0.
The Broncos answered with a run of their own in the top of the third to cut the lead to 2-1 after three innings.
In the fourth inning, Santa Clara got a two-run home run to take the lead at 3-2. Cook reached on an error and advanced to second with one out in the fourth. He then scored on a
Charles Masino double to right center to tie the game. The game was tied at 3 through four innings.
In the fifth,
Reese Alexiades singled up the middle and
Aharon Modlin was hit by a pitch before Lutes hit a ball to deep right field, over the scoreboard for a go-ahead three-run home run. He was quickly followed by Cook, who hit a ball over the fence to straight away center, giving the Waves a 7-3 lead through five innings.
A bases-loaded groundout from Modlin extended the Waves' lead to 8-3 in the bottom of the sixth.
In the ninth inning, the Broncos got a solo home run to cut the lead in half, but could not complete the comeback.
UP NEXT
The Waves and Broncos finish the series on Sunday with first pitch at 1 p.m. Sunday is senior day at Pepperdine, and the Waves will honor 13 seniors prior to the game.