PORTLAND, Ore. – The Pepperdine baseball team was unable to get the bats going and dropped 5-2 to Portland in the series finale of opening West Coast Conference weekend on Sunday afternoon at Joe Etzel Field.
The Waves (5-12, 0-3) and Pilots (13-6, 3-0) were on a pitching duel for the first four innings, but a five run inning for Portland put them on top. The Waves got two earned runs in the top of the fifth, but that was not enough as the Portland pitching staff stood strong.
BIG WAVES
- Senior outfielder Grant Schoen (Clackamas, Ore./Clackamas HS) was the only Wave with two hits on the day, including a double in the top of the ninth. Schoen also brought in a run.
- Freshman infielder Jack Goodman (Medfield, Mass./Medfield HS) had one hit, which was a double and had an RBI.
- Freshman designated hitter Devon Walczykowski (El Dorado Hills, Calif./Jesuit HS) hit his first career triple.
GAME RECAP
After four scoreless innings, the Pilots broke it open with a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 4-0 lead. Portland then added another in the bottom of the fifth on a double to left center, 5-0.
The sixth inning was scoreless, but the Waves started to come alive in the top of the seventh. After one out,
Charles Masino (Newbury Park, Calif./Oaks Christian HS) hit a single up the middle.
Jack Goodman then sent a double down the left field line to give Pepperdine runners on second and third.
Connor Bradshaw (New Rochelle, N.Y./Trinity-Pawling HS) hit a deep sac fly to left field to bring in the first run for the Waves, 5-1.
Grant Schoen also singled up the middle to bring in the second run and made it 5-2.
Another scoreless inning for both squads in the eighth brought the Waves to the top of the ninth with their final chance. Pepperdine had a runner on second with one out, but a strikeout and a fly out to center ended the top half of the inning and gave Portland the win.
UP NEXT
The Waves will play another midweek contest against CSUN on Monday, March 20 in Northridge. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
