PORTLAND, Ore. – The Pepperdine baseball team's comeback was a little too late as the Waves fell 8-6 to Portland in game two on Saturday afternoon at Joe Etzel Field.
The Waves (5-11, 0-2) and Pilots (12-6, 2-0) were scoreless for the first three innings, but a four-run fourth inning for Portland put them on top. Pepperdine trailed the rest of the way and tried to make a late comeback in the top of the ninth with four runs. The team cut the deficit to two, but Portland closed out the game with a ground ball to collect the series win.
BIG WAVES
- Junior infielder Lincoln Orellana (Apple Valley, Calif./Sheldon HS/Hawai'i/American River College) was 2-for-4 on the day including his first home run in a Pepperdine uniform. Orellana also crossed the plate twice for the Waves.
- Senior designated hitter Grant Schoen (Clackamas, Ore./Clackamas HS) was 1-for-3 including a RBI and two walks. Schoen also scored one run.
- Senior outfielder Quintt Landis (Westlake Village, Calif./Oaks Christian HS) was also 1-for-3 with a RBI, two walks and one run scored.
- Junior RHP Brandon Llewellyn (Colleyville, Texas/IMG Academy) struck out a career-high nine batters.
GAME RECAP
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Pilots struck first on a double to right center to take a 1-0 lead. Portland then hit a three-run home run to make it 4-0. In the top of the fifth inning, the Waves took advantage of an infield error that brought
Quintt Landis all the way from first to home to get one run back, 4-1.
In the bottom half of the sixth, the Pilots added two more to the lead on a single up the middle and a double down the right field line, 6-1.
Lincoln Orellana went yard for the first time in a Pepperdine uniform in the top of the seventh inning to cut the deficit to four, 6-2. Portland added an in the park homerun in the bottom of the seventh to the lead, 7-2.
Portland added one run on a sac fly to right field in the bottom of the eighth inning. In the top half of the final frame, Orellana led off with a single up the middle.
Cam Conley (Lincoln University, Pa./Malvern Prep) then drew a walk. A deep fly ball to right field was able to give Orellana a chance to tag up and move to third.
Grant Schoen then sent an RBI single down the right field line to make it 8-3.
John Peck (Moorpark, Calif./Moorpark HS) hit an RBI single through the left side of the field to cut the deficit in half.
Ryan Johnson (Tempe, Ariz./Seton Catholic) got in on the hitting action and singled up the middle to load the bases.
Charles Masino (Newbury Park, Calif./Oaks Christian HS) singled to the shortstop to make it 8-5. With bases still loaded, a ground ball to second brought in another run to get Pepperdine within two. Portland collected the third out on a ground ball to third and secured the victory.
UP NEXT
Pepperdine and Portland will play the series finale on Sunday, March 19 with first pitch set for 1 p.m. The game will be streamed live on the WCC Network.