Box Score March 21, 2015 Box Score
LMU (12-10, 3-2 WCC) dropped a 7-2 decision to Pepperdine (11-13, 2-3 WCC) on Saturday at Pepperdine's Eddy D. Field Stadium. The victory for the Waves evened the three-game WCC and PCH Cup series being played over the weekend.
All nine starters for Pepperdine collected at least one hit, with Aaron Barnett, Brandon Caruso, Jordan Qsar and Manny Jefferson each posting two to guide the Waves to 13 hits on the afternoon. Barnett and Jefferson also contributed a pair of RBI.
Freshman Ryan Wilson got the start and moved to 4-0 on the year after tossing six innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out five. The lefty's only real mistake was came on a solo home run from Billy Wilson in the sixth inning.
The home run was Wilson's second of the year, and came as part of a 2-for-4 day at the plate. Sophomore David Fletcher also posted two hits, going 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and a double, but LMU stranded 10 runners in the loss.
Freshman Tylor Megill, pitching in the second game of a series for the first time in his career, surrendered three runs on five hits and two walks while lasting only 3.1 innings. The loss dropped the right-hander to 4-2 on the year.
Relievers Cory Abbott and Tyler Cohen each gave up two runs, with Abbott tossing 2.2 innings to Cohen's two.
A day after Pepperdine committed two errors to the tune of four unearned runs allowed in a 6-4 loss, the Waves made a huge error that cost them a run in the third. Sophomore Austin Miller struck out with one out, but reached and moved all the way to third as Barnett fired wide of first and the ball sailed down the right field line. Joe Christian, who batted 1-for-2 with an RBI as the designated hitter, cashed in on the chance with a run-scoring single to put the Lions on the board first.
The lead was short-lived as Pepperdine responded for two in the third and one more in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead after four. Two-out RBI-singles from Brad Anderson and Barnett plated the runs in the third before a single and a sacrifice bunt set the table for an RBI-double from Jefferson in the fourth.
Wilson's solo shot cut the deficit to one run at 3-2 in the sixth, but Pepperdine scored twice in the home half of the inning before adding one run in the seventh and eighth to put the victory on ice. Back-to-back doubles from Caruso and Qsar resulted in the first run of the sixth before a sacrifice bunt and a sac fly from Jefferson capped the scoring run. Barnett added his second RBI of the day with a run-scoring single in the seventh before singles from Mitchell Gallagher, Jefferson and Matt Gelalich plated the seventh and final Wave run of the game.
The Lions will look to take the series with a victory in the rubber game of the three-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m. Left-hander Brenton Arriaga will take the mound for the Lions, opposed by righty A.J. Puckett.
