MALIBU, Calif. - The month of February ended on a high note for Pepperdine baseball (2-7), as the Waves walked-off the Yale Bulldogs (2-3) in thrilling fashion Saturday afternoon at Eddy D. Field Stadium.
 
"Great baseball game by both teams!" said Head Coach Tyler LaTorre after the contest. "Pitchers making big pitches, game changing defensive plays, and timely hits. All a prescription for exciting baseball to watch."
 
It was a pitcher's duel through four innings before each team tallied a run in the fifth. In the top half of the frame, Kaiden Dossa lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Bryce Miller. Yale's 1-0 lead didn't last long, as several wild pitches by starter Alex Hwang assisted in James Dell'Amico touching home for the Waves, and it was 1-1 going to the sixth.
 
Each squad traded blows in the sixth inning, starting with Chris Diprima's RBI single to right-center, giving the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead. That vanished quickly, as Dell'Amico blooped a RBI single to right-center in the bottom half of the frame, and the game was tied at two apiece. A couple of batters later, with one out, Danny Cook sent a fly ball to shallow center field, and it was deep enough to bring in Zach Woodson. Pepperdine held a 3-2 advantage as the game entered the final stretch.
 
Jack Fowler was in relief for Waves starter Collin Valentine when Yale had an answer again in the seventh, as Colin Sloan cracked an RBI single to shallow center, knotting the game at three. Fowler was facing a dangerous situation with runners on second and third with nobody out, as Yale could smell blood. Fowler dazzled in one of the biggest moments of the game, getting Garrett Larson to groundout, holding the runners. Then he sat down Davis Hanson with a swinging strikeout before inducing another groundout to get out of the frame.
 
"For the Waves, it always starts on the mound and on defense," LaTorre continued. "Collin Valentine pitched well once again. He mixed speeds, kept Yale hitters uncomfortable, and kept his pitch count down. Jack Fowler had a coming out party on the mound today. For him to get out of that jam in the seventh inning of a tie game was amazing. He is such a competitor and he showed why he's in a Wave uniform."
 
It was a tug-of-war in the eighth and ninth innings until the bottom of the 10th, when Daniel Patterson sent a first-pitch fastball just barely over the left field wall. The play went under review for several minutes but the original home run ruling stood, and Pepperdine earned its second win of the 2026 season in thrilling fashion, 4-3 in 10 innings over Yale.
 
"Handing the ball to Lucien Wechsberg in a tie game in the 8th, I knew we would win the game at some point. He is so reliable and he did his job," added LaTorre. "Our defense shined bright behind our pitchers today as well. Joe Cardinale in center field and Kai Laxa and Julien Nunez up the middle on the infield will always put us in a position to win."
 
Fans can purchase tickets for Sunday's game by clicking this link. For those who cannot make it to historic Eddy. D. Field Stadium, the contest will be streamed live on ESPN+, and live stats are available here.

WALK EM OFF PATTERSON!!!!!!#MakeWaves | @PepperdineWaves pic.twitter.com/k0Lep1eFU5

— Pepperdine Baseball (@PepperdineBASE) March 1, 2026

"Daniel Patterson is a special player," stated LaTorre. "He hasn't had the start to the season that he would have hoped, but he will never stop trusting in himself and in his teammates. All he needs is one swing to impact the game and he did that in the biggest moment. Now onto tomorrow. Going into Sunday with a chance to win a series at home. It's what we work and train for all year."
 
GAME NOTES

• Patterson and Joe Cardinale each had two hits for the Waves.
• Yale stranded 12 runners, while Pepperdine left just six on base.
• Valentine went 5.2 strong innings for Pepperdine, giving up just two runs (only one earned).
• Lucien Wechsberg was solid out of the 'pen for the Waves, going three innings without giving up a run. He surrendered just a pair of hits and struck out four.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE BASEBALL
Pepperdine baseball has one of the richest traditions and success stories among mid-major baseball programs in the country. The Waves won the NCAA National Championship in 1992 and have made 28 NCAA Tournament appearances in total. Located in scenic Malibu, California, Eddy D. Field Stadium boasts one of the most remarkable views in college baseball and has seen 35 former Waves reach the MLB while seeing 41 All-American selections.
 
TICKETS
For more information and to purchase tickets to upcoming home events, visit here.
 
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