SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Pepperdine baseball team stayed even through the first half of the game but four home runs by Santa Clara, including a grand slam, left the Waves behind in a 13-3 loss.
 
Swept for the first time this year, Pepperdine (12-24, 6-6) drops to 6-6 in West Coast Conference play as Santa Clara (18-15, 6-6) finds themselves back in postseason contention.
 
BIG WAVES
Graduate infielder Brady Renck (Longmont, Colo.) went 3-for-5 today, including an extra base hit.
 
Junior infielder Justin Rubin (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) was one of the Waves' three runs, going 1-for-3 on the day.
 
RECAP
The Sunday matinee started on the right foot as the Waves got out to an early lead. Junior infielder Luke Pemberton (Boulder, Colo.) capitalized on the two walks prior in the second inning, sending a ball through the right side and scoring senior outfielder Connor Walsh (Niceville, Fla.). Pepperdine led 1-0 by the middle of the second,
 
Santa Clara responded immediately, taking advantage of a Pepperdine fielding error and scoring three runs without a hit. The Broncos were up 3-1 by the end of the second inning.
 
After two silent innings from both sides, the Waves would tie it up in the top of the fifth. Rubin led the inning off with a double to left center field. Renck would follow by dropping a ball in center, putting runners on the corners with nobody out. On a groundout to second, senior outfielder Connor Bradshaw (New Rochelle, N.Y.) scored Rubin, cutting the deficit in half. Junior infielder Julian Nunez (Encinitas, Calif.) stepped up to the plate and thanks to a defensive error by the Broncos, Renck was 90 feet from home with only one out. With a sac fly out to left field, Nunez tied the game at 3-3 by the middle of the fifth inning.
 
Unfortunately, the game would not be tied for long. Three singles in the bottom half of the fifth loaded the bases for Santa Clara. With one out, catcher Ben Steck sent a ball deep into left field, good for a grand slam to give the Broncos a 7-3 lead.
 
Pepperdine could not stop the bleeding as Santa Clara tacked on two in the sixth inning and three home runs in the seventh and eighth to give them a 10 run lead.
 
Unable to find a way around the bases the remainder of the game, the Waves lost the series finale 13-3.
 
UP NEXT
Back home at Eddy D. Field Stadium Tuesday, Pepperdine is set to take on Cal State Northridge at 3 p.m.
 
THE STANDINGS
 

1. Portland                      8-1                   .889                 22-11               .667

2. Gonzaga                     10-2                 .833                 14-18               .434
3. San Diego                   8-4                   .667                 22-12               .647
4. Saint Mary's                6-3                   .667                 21-13               .618
5. Santa Clara                 6-6                   .500                 18-15               .545
6. Pepperdine                6-6                   .500                 12-24               .333

7. LMU                            2-10                 .167                 14-23               .378
8. San Francisco             1-8                   .111                 17-19               .472    

9. Pacific                         1-8                   .111                 6-29                .171