DAVID TESIC/Assistant Photo Editor
TAYLOR BIRD
Sports Assistant
The No.-11 Pepperdine men’s baseball team split its two-game series with UC Santa Barbara, as it dropped the first game Tuesday, 14-0, before returning home Wednesday and notching a 14-3 victory. The Waves’ record now stands at 18-9 overall and 1-1 in conference play.
The Waves had to play Tuesday’s game on just a few hours of sleep, after arriving to campus from Spokane, Wash., at 2 a.m. the night before.
Santa Barbara (19-8) grabbed an early lead on Tuesday and never looked back. Waves’ starter junior Robert Dickmann struggled in three-plus innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits for the loss (3-3).
Santa Barbara starter Michael Martin kept the Pepperdine offense in check, tossing seven scoreless innings. The Waves managed just three hits in the game and were shut out for the first time this season.
“We just didn’t take care of business,” said junior shortstop Chase d’Arnaud.
On Wednesday, the Waves jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first on back-to-back RBI singles by junior right fielder David Harris and d’Arnaud. Sophomore catcher Trent Diedrich scored on a passed ball in the third to give the Waves their third run.
Freshman Matt Bywater started for the Waves and walked four in four innings of work, but allowed only two hits and no runs.
The Waves broke the game open in the fifth inning, taking advantage of two Gaucho errors and six walks to compile eight runs. Diedrich started off the rally with a one-out double down the third base line, then came around to score on d’Arnaud’s double to right field. Later in the inning, junior third baseman Bryce Mendonca singled up the middle to drive in two more. A total of 14 batters came to the plate in the fifth, and the Waves increased their lead to 11-0.
“We just came out today with the same approach [as yesterday] but we swung and bounced back,” d’Arnaud said. “I think that shows how we deal with adversity; we just want to take it to them. There wasn’t any way we were going to let them beat us like that again.”
Santa Barbara scored their first two runs on a home run by left fielder Mike Zuanich in the sixth inning. But junior second baseman Denny Duron responded with his own two-run homer to left field in the bottom half of the sixth for his second of the year and a 13-2 Waves lead.
“The keys to today’s game were throwing strikes early in the count, making them hit the ball,” Rodriguez said. “We took advantage of some of their walks that they gave us, [and we had] some key hits with guys in scoring position. I think that was the biggest thing for us.”
Conference play continues for the Waves on Friday when they open a three-game series at Saint Mary’s.
04-03-2008
