Pepperdine Sweeps Doubleheader, 4-0, 2-1 to Take 3-Game Series Against Loyola

The Loyola Marymount baseball team couldn’t have been more upbeat heading into its doubleheader against longtime rival Pepperdine on Saturday afternoon at Eddy D. Field Stadium in Malibu.

The day before, the Lions had posted a surprising 5-0 win over the defending national champions on a five-hit shutout by freshman pitcher Ryan Graves and they had their top two starters scheduled to throw in the doubleheader.

But the three-game series ended in disappointment for the Lions.

Pinch runner Chris Milton scored on a bases-loaded walk by starter Shane Bowers with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the 14th-ranked Waves a 2-1 win over the Lions and a doubleheader sweep. The Waves had won the first game of the doubleheader, 4-0.

“It’s a little tough to take,” Loyola Coach Jody Robinson said. “You play well enough to win and your pitcher does a good job and you lose one like this.”

The losses dropped the Lions into third place in the West Coast Conference standings, behind the first place University of San Diego and Pepperdine. The Lions are 12-15 overall and 6-3 in the WCC and Pepperdine is 16-9 and 7-2.

Loyola received solid pitching performances in both halves of the doubleheader, only to see its offense sputter in both games.

Sophomore starter Shawn Hammett (4-4) allowed only three runs and six hits in five innings of pitching in the seven-inning first game. That was more than enough offensive support for Pepperdine starter Greg Gregory, who scattered eight hits over 6 1/3 innings to improve his record to 4-0.

Loyola finally chased Gregory when it loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh. But reliever Adam Housley came in and induced Loyola’s Ryan Ott to fly out to left field and Greg Carl to ground out to second base to end the game and record his second save of the season.

In the second game, Bowers had been impressive in allowing Pepperdine just one run on three hits through eight innings.

Pepperdine took a 1-0 lead on a double by designated hitter Pat O’Hara with two outs in the fourth inning before the Lions tied it on a double by designated hitter Jesse Ibarra with one out in the sixth.

After Ibarra’s hit, Pepperdine Coach Andy Lopez replaced starter Jason LeBlanc with Housley and he responded by striking out six and not allowing a baserunner over the final 3 2/3 innings.

That set the stage for Pepperdine’s rally in the bottom of the ninth.

Third baseman Mark Wasikowski put the Waves in position to win when he led off the ninth with a single. Then Milton entered the game as pinch runner and stole second and reached third on a wild pitch with no outs.

After striking out O’Hara for the first out of the inning, Bowers issued intentional walks to the next two batters to load the bases. He came back to strike out left fielder Jorge Paz for the second out, only to walk second baseman David Lovell on four pitches to force in the winning run.

Bowers saw his record drop to 4-4 and Housley won to improve to 2-3.

“We just didn’t do as well offensively as we had hoped,” Robinson said. “But I don’t think anyone’s been crowned champion (in the conference) yet. I think we can be encouraged by the pitching of our three guys.”