Slumbering Pepperdine Offense Awakens in Time for Split

After the offense stalled in a 3-1 loss in the first game, Pepperdine walloped the University of San Francisco, 13-2, in the nightcap of a West Coast Conference doubleheader Saturday in San Francisco.

The Waves (24-14, 13-2 in conference play) pounded out 16 hits in the second game. Gerardo Gonzalez homered and doubled and had five runs batted in.

The Waves led, 4-1, after seven innings and exploded for nine runs in their final two at-bats. Gonzalez hit his fourth home run of the season, with two men on in the ninth.

Randy Wolf added three hits and two RBIs for the Waves.

Three Pepperdine pitchers limited the Dons to six hits. Jason Le Blanc (3-2) worked 6 1/3 innings and struck out four.

San Francisco pitcher Joe Nelson (4-0) threw a two-hitter in the first game, striking out eight.

The first Pepperdine hit was a bunt single by Clay Luraschi with one out in the fifth.

The lone Pepperdine run was unearned. Josh Older scored on an error by USF third baseman Steve Berringer in the fifth.

The Dons (15-13, 2-5) took a 2-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI single by Rob Gabriele then went up, 3-1, on a squeeze play by Berringer that scored Gabriele.

Pepperdine’s Greg Gregory (5-4) allowed three runs on five hits with three strikeouts and four walks in five innings.

Mission 6, Moorpark 1--Tim Nykoluk had two hits for the Free Spirit (10-15, 3-10) in a Western State Conference game at Moorpark.

Scott Miller hit a home run for the Raiders in the fourth inning.

Pierce 10, Ventura 3--The Brahmas (16-9, 8-5) parlayed three triples and a home run into six runs in the ninth inning to break open a close WSC game at Ventura (13-12, 6-8). Mike Glendenning had a two-run home run in the inning and Casey Doherty added a two-run triple. Josh Morgan and Carlos Nunez also tripled.

Doherty had three hits, and Kirk Mayer added three hits and drove in two runs for Pierce.

Santa Barbara 6, Valley 3--Joe Maiden had two hits and a stolen base, and Chris Portugal added a two-run double for the Monarchs (8-17, 5-9) in a WSC game at Santa Barbara (11-14, 6-7).

Hawaii Pacific 10-12, The Master’s 4-8--Five Mustang pitchers allowed 27 hits, walked 10 and hit six others in the nonconference doubleheader at Master’s.

In the second game, the Sea Warriors broke an 8-8 tie with a four-run rally in the seventh keyed by Micah Banton’s bases-loaded, two-run double.

Matt Hunter, Justin Miller, Jayme Riggio and Jim Young each had two hits for the Mustangs (10-19-2). Young had a double, a triple and three RBIs.

In the opener, the Sea Warriors (9-16-1) scored in every inning but the first.

Mustang center fielder Dan Prentice was three for three with a double, a triple and two RBIs.

SOFTBALL

Cal Lutheran 9-13, Occidental 1-0--Heidi Stevens (10-0) pitched a one-hitter with three strikeouts to complete a sweep of a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at Cal Lutheran.

Cal Lutheran scored 10 runs in the fifth inning of the second game to invoke the 10-run mercy rule.

Tracy Little had three singles for the Regals (21-0, 16-0).

The lone hit for Occidental (5-19, 3-10) was a single in the second inning by Caitlin Blair.

In the opener, Stevens hit a two-run home run to cap a five-run seventh inning. Stevens, the Regals’ all-time home run leader, has five this season and 18 in her career.

Kathy Proffitt (6-0) pitched a six-hitter, struck out three and allowed no earned runs.

WOMEN’S TRACK

Fresno State 235, CS Northridge 178, UC Davis 146, Mt. San Antonio 62--Freshman Zarinah Tillman won the 200 and 400 meters with personal bests of 24.04 and 54.74 seconds for the Matadors in a nonconference meet at Fresno State.

Tillman’s 400 clocking moved her to second on the all-time Northridge list and her 200 performance moved her to fourth.

Junior Beth Burton and sophomore Jamie Whitmore were also victorious for the Matadors (5-2).

Burton put the shot 45 feet 5 inches and Whitmore clocked 17 minutes 41.5 seconds in the 5,000.

MEN’S TRACK

Fresno State 235, CS Northridge 138 1/2, Mt. San Antonio 128 1/2, UC Davis 122--Freshman Joe Criner won the 200 in 21.32 and junior Chris Brown won the 400 in a personal best of 47.74 for the Matadors (5-2) in a nonconference meet at Fresno State.

Brown also ran a leg on the victorious 1,600 relay team that timed 3:12.79. Adding second-place finishes were Marquis Jones (110 high hurdles), Javier Ramirez (5,000) and Billy Bush (shotput).