MALIBU, Calif. – The Pepperdine baseball team picked up a 12-10 victory over Saint Mary's in game one of the three-game West Coast Conference series on Thursday afternoon at Eddy D. Field Stadium.
The Waves (9-18, 3-7) fell behind 5-0 to the Gaels (10-15, 5-5), but rallied back in the third inning scoring four runs and cutting the deficit to one. The Gaels increased their lead in the fifth inning, but the Waves battled back again, trailing only by one run. Saint Mary's then added on two runs in the top seventh before the Waves plated five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and never looked back to secure the win.
BIG WAVES
- Senior infielder Ryan Johnson (Tempe, Ariz./Seton Catholic HS) went 3-for-4 on the day and blasted his 11th home run of the season, which is his 30th career home run and ties him for fourth all-time with Jared Pitney (1998-01) and Chad Tracy (2004-06).
- Junior infielder John Peck (Moorpark, Calif./Ripon Christian School) went 4-for-5 at the plate and scored three times for the Waves. Peck tied his career-high in hits with four.
- Junior outfielder Lincoln Orellana (Apple Valley, Calif./Sheldon HS/Hawaii/American River College) tallied three hits in four at-bats picking up an RBI.
- Senior outfielder and catcher Quintt Landis (Westlake Village, Calif./Oaks Christian HS) went 2-for-4 on the day with a double. He also had three RBI and a walk.
- Junior outfielder Charles Masino (Newbury Park, Calif./Oaks Christian HS) went 2-for-5 at the plate and brought in four runs including a bases-clearing triple to give the Waves the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. Masino's four RBI were a new career-high.
- Freshman RHP Nick Bonn (Laguna Beach, Calif./Laguna Beach HS) collected his first win in a Pepperdine uniform in relief.
- Graduate student RHP Jack Baird (Parker, Colo./Legend HS) threw 1.0 innings in relief to earn his third save of the season.
GAME RECAP
Saint Mary's scored one run on one hit in the top of the first inning. In the top of the third inning Saint Mary's scored four runs on three hits giving the Gaels a 5-0 lead.
Ryan Johnson was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the third.
John Peck followed the hit-by-pitch with a single to center field advancing
Johnson to third base.
Lincoln Orellana then hit an RBI groundout to the first baseman, 5-1.
Quintt Landis singled to left field on a 1-1 count and advanced
Peck to third.
Charles Masino then had an RBI single to center field, cutting the Gaels' margin to three and giving Pepperdine runners on first and third.
Devon Walczykowski (El Dorado Hills, Calif./Jesuit HS) then roped a double down the left field line scoring
Landis and
Masino getting the Waves within one, 5-4.
In the top of the fifth, Saint Mary's scored three runs on three hits making it 8-4. The Waves continued to fight back in the bottom of the sixth inning, including
Johnson sending one out of the park for a solo shot to make it a three-run game. Following the home run, back-to-back singles from
Peck and
Orellana put runners on the corners with one out.
Landis roped a double down the left field line on a 3-2 pitch scoring both
Orellana and
Peck making it a one-run game again, 8-7.
Saint Mary's had two hits and added two more runs in the top of the seventh to increase the lead back to three, 10-7. The Waves did not give up and opened the bottom of the eighth with three straight singles.
Landis then earned a walk which brought in a run to get Pepperdine back within two, 10-8.
Masino sent one down the right field line for a triple which cleared the bases to give the Waves its first lead of the game, 11-10.
Walczykowski provided some insurance with a sac fly to bring in
Masino, making it 12-10 in favor of Pepperdine. Although the Gaels had runners on first and second,
Jack Baird (Parker, Colo./Legend HS) was able to get a foul pop out for the final out of the game to retire Saint Mary's.
UP NEXT
The Waves and Gaels will face off in game two of the series on Friday, April 7. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on the WCC Network.
