MORAGA, Calif. - A consistent offense wasn't enough as the Pepperdine baseball team (4-17, 0-1 WCC) came up short in their West Coast Conference opener at Saint Mary's (12-9, 1-0 WCC), falling 9-8.
 
It was a tough loss for the Waves, marking their fourth one-run loss in the last six games.
 
"We just couldn't overcome the sluggish start offensively, as well as too many free passes to one of the best offensive hitting teams in the country," said Head Coach Tyler LaTorre following the game. "Saint Mary's is relentless in their lineup with pressure and it showed tonight."
 
Saint Mary's put a three-spot on the board in the second inning to start the scoring. Tanner Griffith knocked a two-RBI double down the right field line before Brady Petit added a RBI single. The Gaels added three more in the fifth on RBI singles from Nick Allred, Cody Kashimoto, and Petit. The Waves answered with three runs in the top of the sixth, as James Dell'Amico belted a two-RBI triple through the right-center field gap. Max Aude followed two pitches later with a RBI single to score Dell'Amico and the deficit was cut in half, as the Waves trailed 6-3 going to the bottom of the sixth.
 
An unforeseen circumstance occurred in the bottom half of the inning. With runners on the corners and nobody out for the Gaels, the brand new lights at Ronald Gallagher Stadium went out. A near 30-minute delay followed, setting up a crazy final four innings. Once play resumed, Ian Armstrong smacked a two-RBI single to left before Kashimoto lifted a sacrifice fly to right, bringing in Armstrong to bring Saint Mary's back up by a touchdown, 9-3. The Waves wanted to have the last word and sparked a comeback attempt in the top of the seventh, as Nunez ripped a RBI single to left-center before Daniel Patterson tacked on a sac fly to left. Pepperdine would face an uphill battle in the ninth down 9-5, but showed no quit. AJ Bianchina laced a single up the middle, setting up Nunez, who singled through the right side. Patterson came to the plate but the Gaels went back to the bullpen, turning to closer Sam Kretsch as the Waves were making things interesting. Patterson eventually climbed in and smoked a first-pitch fastball over the left-field wall, and suddenly it was 9-8 with nobody out. Aude was hit by a pitch a couple of batters later, putting the tying run aboard the basepaths. As Aude stepped on first, another delay happened when two sprinklers popped up and started spraying the field. The brief stoppage in action didn't affect Krestch, as he induced a flyout to Trey Dunn and another flyout to Nash Horton to end the contest. Amidst the craziness and offensive firepower, the Waves came up short in the 9-8 loss.
 
"To come back and make it a game was really great to see," continued LaTorre. "We've done that a lot this year. It would be nice to see us do that early in the game to give our starting pitchers a chance to pitch with a lead. We are a good team that has a chance to be great. We have to continue to believe we have what it takes to play at our standards and capabilities. No need for us to feel like we need to do more than what each of us are capable of."
 
GAME NOTES

• Saint Mary's dominated offensively with two outs, going 7-for-14.
• Both teams were excellent with runners in scoring position, as the Waves went 4-for-10, while the Gaels went 7-for-21.
• Pepperdine stranded eight on the basepaths, compared to Saint Mary's leaving 12.
• Nunez, Patterson, Dell'Amico and Max Aude (representing the 2-5 spots in the lineup) all had two hits.

Pepperdine will play game two of the series tomorrow at 4:00pm with a live broadcast on ESPN+ and live stats available.

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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