PROVO, Utah – The Pepperdine baseball team fell 13-7 to BYU in game one of the three-game West Coast Conference series at Miller Park on Thursday evening.
The Waves (7-18, 18-29) were able to get within one twice against the Cougars (12-13, 23-27) but a five-run bottom of the eighth inning gave BYU the insurance needed to collect the victory.
BIG WAVES
- Junior infielder Lincoln Orellana (Apple Valley, Calif./Sheldon HS/Hawai'i/American River College) was 2-for-3 on the day including three RBI and a walk.
- Freshman infielder Jack Basseer (Pleasanton, Calif./Foothill HS) was 2-for-4 on the day including his fourth homer of the season, which was a two-run blast.
- Senior infielder Ryan Johnson (Tempe, Ariz./Seton Catholic HS) was also 2-for-4 and had a RBI. Johnson also crossed the plate twice for the Waves.
GAME RECAP
Grant Schoen (Clackamas, Ore./Clackamas HS) led off the top of the first inning with a double to left field.
Ryan Johnson traded places with Schoen on a double of his own down the right field line to give the Waves a 1-0 lead.
Lincoln Orellana then sent a single down the left field line to score Johnson and make it 2-0. The Cougars countered in the bottom of the first inning scoring six runs on five hits, 6-2.
In the top of the third inning,
John Peck (Moorpark, Calif./Moorpark HS) hit a ball to right center that the BYU right fielder mishandled, resulting in Peck making a trip around the bases. There was a tight throw home, but Peck slid in and avoided the tag to get Pepperdine within three, 6-3. The Waves had bases loaded in the top of the fifth inning thanks to two hit-by-pitches and a Johnson single, Orellana then hit a single through the five-six hole to cut the deficit to one, 6-5.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Cougars got some insurance by scoring two runs on two hits, 8-5. In the top of the eighth inning, the Waves also got two runs thanks to a
Jack Basseer homer over the left center wall to get Pepperdine back within one, 8-7. The Cougars answered with five runs on three hits in the bottom of the eighth inning to take a 13-7 lead. The Waves had the lead-off man on in the top of the final frame, but were retired in order
UP NEXT
The Waves and Cougars will play game two on Friday, May 19. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT and the game will be on BYUtv.