By Steve Pinkerton
Staff Writer
The Waves will take on Santa Clara this weekend with a smaller chip on their shoulders after a much-needed and long-anticipated 11-9 win over St. Mary’s on Sunday afternoon.
That victory snapped Pepperdine’s three-game losing streak and brought the Waves’ conference record back up to .500 on the season. They are currently 2-2, with an overall record of 12-16.
Sophomore pitcher Brandon Boesch had plenty of support from the Pepperdine dugout, as key players gave all they had to try to turn the dismal Waves season around. With the win, Boesch improved his record to 4-2 on the season.
Gaels’ pitcher Mike Byer fell to 2-4 with the loss.
Sophomore left fielder Cory Brightwell was a bright spot in an otherwise gray weekend weatherwise. He collected three doubles and a homerun, sending in five runs for the team.
“It was just one of those days where you’re seeing the ball real well out of the pitcher’s hand,” Brightwell said. “You can have bad days, too, I just had a good day.”
The teams were scheduled to play a doubleheader on Sunday because rain in the Bay Area prevented them from playing on both Friday and Saturday.
“We were so bored,” said Brightwell. “(When it rains) we just sit inside and do homework or something. We were real ready to get out there on Sunday.”
After winning 11-9 in the first game on Sunday, the Waves and the Gaels again went after each other, but the game was called after six innings with the score tied at 3-3. In an uncommon but not unheard of solution, the game will be concluded in May here at Eddy D. Field Stadium when St. Mary’s travels to Pepperdine. The two teams will make up the final game of the series on May 11, when they will play a double header.
In the win, junior centerfielder Jason Payne collected a career-high three hits.
Junior rightfielder Duke Sardhina ripped a home run and scored three runs for the Waves over the course of the game.
Boesch, who started for the Waves, allowed three runs on six hits in six innings on the mound for the victory. When Boesch left the game Pepperdine led 10-3, but the Gaels scrambled back and cut the deficit to 10-9. Junior Derek Mills came in to stop the bleeding in the eighth, and recorded six outs across the eighth and ninth innings to secure the Waves’ win.
The Waves take on Santa Clara for a three game series this weekend at Eddy D. Field Stadium, starting today.
“I think we have a good shot of winning if not two of three, then all three,” Brightwell said. “In our conference, anybody can beat anybody on any given day. We just need to be focused and play hard.”
Today’s game is the start of an eight- game homestand for the Waves, who will entertain Long Beach State, San Diego and UCLA in the next two weeks.
If Pepperdine can win the series with Santa Clara, the Waves will find themselves occupying first place in the West Coast Conference.
March 28, 2002