MALIBU, Calif. - The Pepperdine Waves baseball team concluded a four-game series against UMass Lowell on Saturday with a doubleheader, and the teams split the contests. The River Hawks took game one before the Waves escaped with a victory in a shootout in game two. Pepperdine improved to 4-15 by the end of the day, while UMass Lowell moved to 7-8.
 
GAME 1: Pepperdine 4, UMass Lowell 5
 
It was a scoreless contest after three innings until the River Hawks cracked the scoreboard in the fourth on a RBI single by Scott Donahue. The Waves had an emphatic answer in the bottom of the frame, starting with AJ Bianchina's RBI single to left-center. The throw went to third base in an attempt to cut down Finley Buckner, but he slid in safely from first base as Bianchina took advantage and dashed to second. Dylan Osborne, who had just three at-bats on the season entering yesterday's contest, punched a RBI single back up the middle to extend the lead to 3-1. The navy blue and orange added on with a Julian Nunez sacrifice fly, and it was 4-1 Waves entering the fifth.
 
Things would tighten in the sixth as UML pressured Pepperdine with traffic before Donahue scalded a double to left field, bringing in Sean O'Leary and Carlos Martinez to make it 4-3, still in Pepperdine's advantage.
 
That score would hold until the ninth, as Lucien Wechsberg was trying to nail down a two-inning save. Finding themselves in another close contest, everything seemed to go against the Waves, as Cal Chance reached on an infield single before Rowan Masse dropped a sac bunt down the first base side. Wechsberg had a chance to record the out at first base but botched the throw, but it didn't get far enough away for Chance to further advance. O'Leary took an offensive timeout for a brief chat with the UML coaching staff before ensuing with his own sacrifice bunt, resulting in Chance ending up at third while Masse reached second base. Martinez came through for the River Hawks, spraying a RBi single to left, scoring both Chance and Masse, who slid just under the tag of Aidan Camberg, and UMass Lowell suddenly led 5-4 when their backs were against the wall. Wechsberg induced a double play on Donahue, but the Waves went one-two-three in the bottom of the ninth and fell 5-4 in game one of the doubleheader.
 
"Tough loss late, but we battled hard," said Head Coach Tyler LaTorre. "We had a big inning offensively capped off with a huge double by AJ Bianchina. Unfortunately, we just couldn't get anything else going. Collin Valentine gave us a quality start and Pierson Howe and Kam Croghan did a great job holding the lead. Anytime we can give the ball to Lucien Wechsberg with a lead, I'll take those chances. It just didn't work out today."
 
GAME NOTES

• Osborne, who was slotted in the leadoff spot, had a two-hit game for Pepperdine.
• UMass Lowell stranded nine while the Waves left eight on base.
• Starting pitcher Colin Valentine surrendered three runs (all earned) in five innings of work. He struck out four and walked three.

GAME 2: Pepperdine 13, UMass Lowell 8
 
Whatever the two squads had for lunch in between games, it fueled them to 33 combined hits in a game two offensive onslaught.
 
The River Hawks got on the board in the top of the second to start the scoring, as Nicholas Solorzano sent a home run well over the right field wall. UMass Lowell was able to get more runners on base before Brayden Cali roped a single to left, scoring Donahue as Zachary Scott advanced to third and Cali moved up to second base on the throw to home. Pepperdine had a response right away, as Joshua Woodworth blasted his first career home run in the bottom of the frame.
 
Both squads would relentlessly trade blows, as Donahue added a RBI single in the third to extend UML's lead back to 3-1, before James Dell'Amico joined the party with a two-RBI single to right. Nash Horton tacked on a RBI single before Trey Dunn launched a no-doubt three-run blast. Entering the fourth inning, the Waves held a 7-3 lead.

"No more singles" 🤣 @JamesDellamico #MakeWaves | @PepperdineWaves https://t.co/edowZ0c5Eo pic.twitter.com/YXBHXULd6J

— Pepperdine Baseball (@PepperdineBASE) March 15, 2026

 
That advantage would diminish to 7-5 after Chance cracked a RBI double to right field before Jack Forgues followed with a RBI knock to center field, plating Chance. The navy blue and orange had no plans of slowing down offensively, as Woodworth sent another sky-scraping blast over the left field fence. His three-run dinger extended the lead back to 10-5 before he racked up two more RBI on a double to deep center that nearly went out. The Waves had blown the game wide open at 12-6, but UML wouldn't go down without a fight.
 
In the seventh, UMass Lowell cut the deficit by one after Zachary Scott rocked a RBI double down the right field line, and even after Pepperdine scored again in the bottom of the frame, UML added two more in the eighth on a Donahue single.
 
Austin Plisinski shut it down in the ninth, and the sophomore earned his first career save after recording the final four outs as the Waves avoided the series sweep with a 13-8 victory.
 
"I loved the way our bats finally came alive!" said LaTorre following the contest. "Up and down the lineup, we put pressure on UMass Lowell with hard hit balls in every inning. We ran the bases, hit for power with the long ball, and stretched the lead to allow our relievers some breathing room. It was a great win to salvage the weekend and showed a lot of character for our team. Really proud of how we responded to the late game loss and we're excited to start conference play next week."
 
GAME NOTES

• Dell'Amico was a blistering 4-for-5 in game two, recording three RBI and his first collegiate home run in the seventh.
• Woodworth racked up six RBI and had a three-hit game. He hit home runs in both the second and fourth innings, becoming the second Pepperdine player this season (Danny Cook, vs. Michigan on March 6) to tally both their first collegiate home run and first multi-home run game in the same contest.
• Horton went 3-for-4 for Pepperdine.
• The Waves' bullpen was solid all-around, giving up only three runs (all earned) while five different arms (Jack Fowler, Jackson Pace, Jake Guardiancic, Dylan Osborne, Plisinski) covered 5.1 innings.
• Fowler earned his first career win.

Pepperdine begins a four-game road trip with a tough test across town at No. 1 UCLA on Tuesday. The Bruins feature a couple of the top-rated college baseball prospects in shortstop Roch Cholowsky and outfielder Will Gasparino, who have combined to hit 20 home runs this season and both rank in the top five in that category. The game will air live on B1G+, and fans who want to make the drive to Jackie Robinson Stadium can purchase tickets here.
 
The Waves will then visit Saint Mary's in Moraga, California to begin West Coast Conference play next weekend (Friday, March 20 through Sunday, March 22). All three contests will be streamed live on ESPN+.

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.
 
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