Pepperdine baseball fought strong all weekend against the Colonels of Eastern Kentucky sweeping the series to begin the season 3-0 with home games on Friday Saturday and Sunday.
Opening day took place Friday Feb. 18 in weather quite abnormal for Malibu — cold rain and wind. However the Waves were unfazed going up 7-0 after just four innings. Freshman pitcher Scott Frazier earned the win after he and relieving pitchers Alex Najera sophomore and Eric Karch freshman held the Colonels to only two runs in the 9-2 victory.
Concerning the weather Head Coach Steve Rodriguez said that although his players “are not used to such conditions they were unfazed and stayed tough.”
Game two was interrupted by thunderstorms Saturday afternoon. Down by one in the ninth when it resumed on Sunday the Waves executed a thrilling comeback victory that lasted into the 11th inning. Junior Brian Humphries drove in junior outfielder Tyler Brubaker to send the game into extra innings. Freshman pinch runner Ranny Lowe scored the winning run for Pepperdine (also batted in by Humphries).
The final game of the series was just as exciting. In the top of the eighth EKU appeared to score two runs on a bases-loaded single. However plate umpire Ruben Chavira disqualified one run scored by Richie Rodriguez. Rodriguez supposedly used excessive force against Pepperdine junior catcher Nate Johnson who was guarding the plate.
The Waves went on to score two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning locking down a 3-1 win to sweep the series and improve their 2011 record to 3-0.
As reported on the Pepperdine Athletics website this is the Waves’ first opening weekend sweep since 1999. Coach Rodriguez said the players were excited to begin competing after months of practice.
Unfortunately the Waves’ streak ended Tuesday night Feb. 22 against UCLA. The Bruins were not an easy team to face so early in the season: In 2010 they made it to the finals of the College World Series in Omaha before losing to the University of South Carolina.
So far this season the Bruins’ pitching has not allowed a run (through four games of play). They repeated this streak on Tuesday as the Waves went scoreless in a 9-0 loss. Pepperdine had five hits during the game but that wasn’t enough to fight the onslaught of runs from UCLA. Freshman Matt Maurer of Pepperdine took the loss and freshman Cody Dickerson of Pepperdine was the only one of five Waves pitchers to not give up a run.
The Waves next face Fresno State away in three consecutive games on Friday Feb. 25 26 and 27 and then return home to face UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday March 1 at 2 p.m. and invite all students not traveling for spring break to attend.
