MALIBU, Calif. - The Pepperdine baseball team scored four in the seventh inning to give the Waves a win, breaking a six game losing streak.
 
California State University at Bakersfield (3-14) grabbed an early 4-0 lead by the middle of the third inning. Pepperdine (4-13) steadily fought their way back and after a short-lived two-run lead, CSU Bakersfield tied it up in the top of the seventh. The bottom of the inning is when the Waves got hot, recording four runs to carry them to a 10-8 victory over the Roadrunners.
 
BIG WAVES
 
Senior outfielder Connor Bradshaw (New Rochelle, N.Y.) went 1-for-4 today, recording three of the Waves' RBIs.
 
Senior outfielder Connor Walsh (Niceville, Fla.) hit 2-for-3 on the day, including two RBIs.
 
Graduate infielder Brady Renck (Longmont, Colo.) had three RBIs and a base-clearing triple in the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
RECAP
 
CSU Bakersfield was able to capitalize early and through a combination of walks, sacrificial groundouts, and singles, gained a 4-0 lead on Pepperdine by the middle of the third inning.
 
Despite being down early, the Waves were not going without a fight. Senior outfielder Charles Masino (Newbury Park, Calif.) jump started the offense with a single to left field in the bottom of the third inning. After Walsh walked, both were able to advance on a wild pitch, leaving a man on second and one on third with nobody out. A groundout to second by Renck would get Pepperdine on the board. Bradshaw would follow with a sac fly to center field, scoring the lone man left on base, cutting the Roadrunner lead to two by the end of the third inning.
 
Freshman RHP Braden Guentz (Clovis, Calif.) would take the mound to retire three CSU Bakersfield players in a row, sending Pepperdine back to the batter's box.
 
Leading the fourth inning off with a walk, junior Jacob Rebrook (The Woodlands, Texas) would gladly take his base. Graduate outfielder Nick Upstill (Huntington Beach, Calif.) would lay down a sac bunt to advance Rebrook to second, followed by junior catcher Andrew Savage (Woodstock, Ontario, Canada) singling to left field, putting runners at both corners. Rebrook would score on a balk and the inning would end with the Waves down only one.
 
Guentz and freshman RHP Jacob Grossman (Townson, Md.) would face six batters and combine for only one hit, putting up another scoreless inning.
 
The bottom of the fifth began with junior infielder Julian Nunez (Encinitas, Calif.) being hit by a pitch, giving junior infielder Cole Sheehan (Phoenix, Ariz.) the opportunity to advance him to second on a groundout. With a runner in scoring position, Rebrook singled to right field, tying the game at four by the end of the inning.
 
Grossman retired the next three Roadrunners with two strikeouts, recording the third straight scoreless inning for the Waves' defense.
 
Savage started the sixth inning on first after being hit by a pitch and Masino cracked a single up the middle, putting two on with no outs. Walsh was up next, who successfully laid a bunt down for a single and a misjudged throw by CSU Bakersfield would advance all runners an extra base, giving Pepperdine the lead. After a Roadrunner pitching change, Bradshaw hit a deep sac fly, scoring Masino and putting the Waves up 6-4 to end the inning.
 
CSU Bakersfield was able to get two runs back in the top of the seventh, briefly tying the game at six. It was not long before the Waves would pull away with the lead.
 
The bottom of the seventh began with a single from Upstill and Savage getting hit by a pitch for the second time this game, putting him on first. Masino would advance the runners with a sac bunt, giving Pepperdine two on with only one out. Walsh sent one sailing in left field, scoring Upstill and putting himself on first. Two on, one out, Pepperdine up by one. Renck stepped up to the plate and sent the ball in the opposite direction, lining a triple down the right field line, clearing the bases and scoring two more. Bradshaw was able to send a single in the same direction, bringing Renck home. Waves led 10-6 by the end of the seventh.
 
The Roadrunners would try to surmount a comeback, putting up a run in both the eighth and ninth innings. Time ran out for CSU Bakersfield as Pepperdine pulled out the win 10-8.
 
UP NEXT
 
Pepperdine hits the road to take on Tulane University in the first true road series of the season March 15-17.