MALIBU, Calif. - The month of March ended on a dynamite note for the Pepperdine baseball team, as the Waves (9-19, 4-2 WCC) defeated CSUN (15-12, 6-6 Big West) by a final of 6-5 in walk-off fashion on Tuesday evening.
 
Pepperdine has now won more games (5) in its last seven than it did in the first 27 contests of the season (4). Daniel Patterson blasted a no-doubt rocket in the bottom of the ninth to win the game for the Waves, marking his team-leading eighth homer of the campaign.
 
Lucien Wechsberg blew a save opportunity in the top of the ninth but earned his team-leading third win of the season following Patterson's shot in the bottom of the frame.

"It's always a good feeling to end a home stand with a win," said Head Coach Tyler LaTorre. "We had a bunch a bright spots today even though the weather was overcast the entire game. With it being a bullpen game, I thought all the pitchers did a great job commanding the strike zone and minimizing scoring innings from Northridge. After going down 1-0 after the top of the first inning, it was great to see us respond with two runs in the bottom half and then extend the lead with a big blast from Josh Woodworth."
 
Pepperdine fell behind in the top of the first as Mateo Rickman knocked a RBI single, scoring Will Linberg. The Waves didn't blink and responded in the bottom of the first, taking advantage of several Matadors pitching miscues. James Dell'Amico advanced to second base on a balk as Patterson jogged home from third, tying the game at one. Joshua Woodworth moved Dell'Amico to third on a groundout to the five-hole, and then the freshman dashed to the dish on a passed ball, giving the Waves a 2-1 advantage.
 
The navy blue and orange would put up a three-spot in the third frame, extending the lead to 5-1. Julian Nunez singled to center before Dell'Amico blooped an infield single to shallow left, setting up a Woodworth three-run dinger to dead center on the first pitch of his at-bat.

HE DOES IT AGAIN!!!!!! @Daniel_P_27 #MakeWaves | @PepperdineWaves pic.twitter.com/M8Foix4lDe

— Pepperdine Baseball (@PepperdineBASE) April 1, 2026

CSUN's pitching staff would hold Pepperdine quiet for the majority of the game after that, and answered with a three-spot in the top of the fifth. The rally started with a RBI single by Matthew Thomas before Colton Boardman smacked a RBI single to right, bringing the Matadors within two. Cameron Calvillo tacked on a RBI groundout to second base, scoring Boardman, and CSUN was down 5-4 heading into the sixth.
 
Jackson Pace, Jack Fowler, and Austin Plisinski notched scoreless innings in the sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively, setting up Wechsberg for a save opportunity in the ninth. The Matadors had one more rally in them, getting a single from Linberg and a walk from Boardman before Rickman snuck a RBI base hit through the right side, tying the game at five.
 
CSUN's joy was quickly relinquished as Patterson delivered in the clutch, as he has so many times this season, taking a 3-1 fastball and destroying it over the left field wall netting. His game-winning shot marked the Waves' first three-game win streak since sweeping Gonzaga May 16-18, 2024. It's the first three-game home winning streak for Pepperdine since sweeping Pacific March 25-27, 2022.

"Northridge is a quality program and we knew they wouldn't go quietly as they chipped away at our lead," continued LaTorre. "After they tied it in the top of the ninth we knew we had a chance to end with the top of the lineup due up and it didn't take long. Daniel is a special player and he won us the game with one swing again. It's a quick turn around with it being Easter week as we fly to Spokane tomorrow to take on Gonzaga Thursday-Saturday. We are excited to get back into WCC play and to continue to grow our program."
 
GAME NOTES

• CSUN stranded nine on base while the Waves left seven aboard.
• Pepperdine's top four batters in the order (Patterson-Nunez-Dell'Amico-Woodworth) combined to go 6-for-16, scoring all six runs and driving in four.
• Catcher Shawn Romero went 2-for-4 out of the nine-spot.
• The Waves used eight pitchers in today's game, with all of them recording at least one strikeout.

Pepperdine has a dandy of a series awaiting them in Spokane, Washington this Thursday through Saturday at Gonzaga. The Waves and Bulldogs are currently tied for third place in the WCC (each with 4-2 records). All three games can be seen 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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