MALIBU, Calif. – The Pepperdine baseball team went back and forth with Gonzaga in game two of the series, but ultimately fell 12-9 on Saturday afternoon at Eddy D. Field Stadium.
The Waves (6-14, 1-4) held the Bulldogs (8-13, 4-1) scoreless for the first three innings, but Gonzaga started to make its way back and tied the game in the top of the sixth and took the lead in the top of the seventh.
Prior to first pitch, the Waves welcomed back alumni from all years, with many from 1979-88 coming back to Malibu to honor their former coach,
Dave Gorrie. The dedication began with Pepperdine's Director of Athletics
Steve Potts saying a few words, followed by a passionate and well-said speech from his former player,
Mike Otto ('80). Pepperdine President and CEO
Jim Gash then spoke before presenting an award to Gorrie's son, Bryan, commemorating the dedication of the Dave Gorrie Videoboard. The presentation ended with a special message of thanks from the team that played on the videoboard.
Dave Gorrie is the all-time winningest head coach in Pepperdine baseball history. Gorrie spent 10 seasons with the Waves (1979-88) and collected a 409-202-11 all-time record, good for an impressive .666 winning percentage. Gorrie was at the helm when Pepperdine made its first-ever appearance at the College World Series in just his first year and led the team to a third-place finish. During the 1979 season, Gorrie and the Waves compiled a Pepperdine program record of 53 total victories, which still stands today.
BIG WAVES
- Senior infielder Ryan Johnson (Tempe, Ariz./Seton Catholic HS) was 2-for-3 on the day including a solo home run. Johnson also had three RBI and scored two runs. Johnson now has 26 career home runs, which ties him for ninth on the Pepperdine all-time list.
- Junior outfielder Charles Masino (Newbury Park, Calif./Oaks Christian HS) was 2-for-4 and scored two runs.
- Junior outfielder Lincoln Orellana (Apple Valley, Calif./Sheldon HS/Hawai'i/American River College) also had two hits and had two RBI.
GAME RECAP
Pepperdine jumped out front in the top of the first inning with a solo home run for
Ryan Johnson. After a scoreless second inning for both squads, the Waves added two more runs, 3-0, in the bottom of the third inning on a single by
Lincoln Orellana.
The Bulldogs got within one in the top of the fourth inning on a single to left field that scored two, 3-2. In the bottom of the fourth, the Waves added another run by a sac fly to right field by
Greg Mehlhaff (Gresham, Ore./Clackamas HS), 4-2. In the top of the fifth inning, the Zags brought in a run on a double to cut the deficit to one, 4-3. In the bottom of the fifth inning,
Grant Schoen (Clackamas, Ore./Clackamas HS) led off with a walk. Johnson was hit by a pitch to give Pepperdine runners on first and second.
John Peck (Moorpark, Calif./Moorpark HS) roped a double off the left center fence to make it 6-3.
Gonzaga tied the game 6-all in the top of the sixth inning scoring three runs on four hits. In the top of the seventh, the Bulldogs took the lead for the first time bringing in four runs on four hits, 10-6. The Waves answered in the bottom of the seventh with three runs including an RBI walk by Schoen and a two-run single up the middle by Johnson to get Pepperdine within one, 10-9.
In the top of the final frame, Gonzaga scored two runs on a two-run home run to make it 12-9. In the bottom half of the ninth inning, the Waves were retired with a strikeout, foul out to the left side and a fly out to center.
UP NEXT
Pepperdine and Gonzaga will play in the series finale on Sunday, March 26 with first pitch slated for 1 p.m. and the game will be live on the WCC Network.
