LOS ANGELES, Calif. - What looked like a tough matchup on paper against the best team in the country turned into a nail-biting contest in a 5-4 loss for Pepperdine baseball (4-16) against No. 1 UCLA (18-2) on Tuesday night.
"What a gritty and competitive performance by our team tonight," said Head Coach
Tyler LaTorre after the game. "It took everyone and we took UCLA down to the wire. I'm really proud of the way we came out strong, took UCLA's punch back and kept fighting. Our pitching staff really stepped up tonight. We took on one of the country's best lineups and held them strong."
The Waves jumped out to a quick 2-0 advantage thanks to the scorching hot bat of
James Dell'Amico, who laced a two-RBI double down the right field line, plating
Julian Nunez and
Daniel Patterson, who beat the throw to the dish.
UCLA had a response in the bottom of the first. A costly fielding error by Nunez led to a game-tying two-run shot by Mulivai Levu. The Waves rolled with
Arnold Wu, a freshman, as the opener for the game, and he pitched well, getting through 1.1 innings while letting the defense behind him make plays (two groundouts and two flyouts).
Phoenix Call forced Wu out of the game after scalding a two-RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the second, giving UCLA a 4-2 lead. Pepperdine's pitching staff, in a bullpen game all night, was excellent throughout the rest of the game, which allowed the Waves' offense to climb back into it. A RBI single by Dell'Amico in the third cut the deficit to one before
Daniel Patterson reached on a fielder's choice in the fifth on what was a wild sequence. Patterson grounded a fastball to third base, but
Kai Laxa found himself in a pickle between third and home. At the same time, Nunez was bolting for third, and somehow Laxa was able to weave the basepath and dive in safely at home, while Nunez took third. Laxa's ability to escape the mess tied the game at four apiece going to the sixth inning.
Only a few pitches truly represented the difference in the final score, and Payton Brennan's go-ahead blast for the Bruins in the bottom of the sixth put UCLA up for good. Pepperdine showed no quit, displaying confidence in the top of the ninth as the Waves put two on with no outs.
Joe Cardinale pinch-hit for
Max Aude and put down a beauty of a bunt in front of home plate, forcing a bad throw by Bruins catcher Cashel Dugger. With Pepperdine in a prime position to tie or take the lead, Laxa struck out swinging, before Nunez dropped a single into left-center that stayed up for a long time.
Nash Horton, who was on second, hesitated ever so slightly, which allowed left fielder Dean West to throw a laser home and cut down Horton at the plate. With the winning run still at second in Cardinale, Patterson went down swinging, and the Waves fell 5-4.
"Our players continue to believe in one another and it's going to really help as we open up conference play this weekend at St. Mary's," continued LaTorre. "We should take this game as a confidence builder that we can compete and win against anyone, anytime. The little details are what it is going to take for us to continue building this program. We are stacking up quality day after quality day. I am very proud of our players."
GAME NOTES
- Dell'Amico had two more hits and three RBI tonight. He now leads Pepperdine in RBI (12) and is on a four-game hitting streak, including three multi-hit games. He has six multi-hit games this season in 15 starts.
- Facing one of the best offenses in the country, the Waves' bullpen was nasty. In 6.2 innings, the bullpen allowed only one run (earned) and four hits while striking out six.
- The Bruins left nine on base while Pepperdine stranded eight.
- UCLA had a slight edge in the walks department, 4-3.
- Of Pepperdine's 16 losses, eight of them are by three runs or less (five of which are by two or less). Three out of the last four losses have come by one run.
Pepperdine will turn its attention towards conference play, which begins Friday evening at Saint Mary's. Fans can watch the game on ESPN+ or follow with live stats.
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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