Box Score MALIBU, Calif. - The Pepperdine baseball team lost the first midweek at Eddy D. Field Stadium this season, losing to #20 UCSB 2-13.
 
The Waves (1-8) struggled on the mound as the #20 Gauchos (7-1) hit three home runs as Pepperdine was downed 2-13.  
 
BIG WAVES
 
Junior outfielder Joe Cardinale (Salinas, Calif.) had the Waves' only extra base hit in the afternoon with a double in the third inning.
 
Freshman catcher Esteban Sepulveda (Lancaster. Calif.) drove in the first run of the afternoon in the eighth inning.
 
Freshman infielder Zach Woodson (Long Beach, Calif.) had the second RBI of the game starting the fourth game of his collegiate career.
 
RECAP
 
Offense on both sides of the ball started off slow with no hits through the first two innings. A solo home run in the top of the third by the Gauchos would get them on the board first. Despite a double by Cardinale, three were left on base in the following two innings as the game entered the fifth with Pepperdine narrowly trailing 0-1.
 
Santa Barbara broke it open in the fifth and six innings, scoring eight with no response from the Waves. An added run in the top of the seventh by the Gauchos would bring the game to 0-10 and with no runs scored in the bottom half of the inning for Pepperdine, two innings remained as the Waves were down 0-10.
 
After UCSB added two more in the top of the eighth, Pepperdine got on the board in the bottom of the eighth inning. Back-to-back walks by the Gaucho's pitcher gave the Waves base runners and a single to center by Sepulveda drove freshman outfielder Joey Damelio (San Mateo, Calif.) home, avoiding the shutout. In the same inning, Woodson reached on a fielder's choice, advancing the runners at second and third base to score senior outfielder Luke Pemberton (Boulder, Colo.). 
 
Scoring one more in the ninth, UCSB put the exclamation point on the afternoon, beating Pepperdine 13-2.
 
 
NEXT
 
The Waves host the Tulane Green Wave this weekend at Eddy D. Field Stadium. First pitch Friday is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required) and live stats can be found at  www.pepperdinewaves.com