Waves Hope for a Berth by Committee

Control of Pepperdine’s chances to reach the NCAA baseball tournament shifted to the selection committee Saturday after the Waves’ 6-2 loss to Loyola Marymount in Game 2 of the West Coast Conference Championship Series at Loyola Marymount.

The Lions won the best-of-three series, 2-0, receiving the NCAA tournament berth accompanying the conference championship. Loyola Marymount, the WCC’s Coast Division champion, won the series opener, 19-5, Friday at Loyola Marymount.

The Waves won the WCC’s West Division.

Michael Schultz (9-5), from Cleveland High, pitched a four-hitter, not allowing an earned run, and Jason Aspito hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning for the Lions (39-17).

Pepperdine (36-23) received an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament last year after losing to Loyola Marymount in the WCC Championship Series and finishing with a 43-14 record.

“I would hope the committee would judge us as deserving,” Coach Frank Sanchez said. “We had a good year. We beat some good teams down the stretch.”

The tournament brackets will be announced at noon Monday. Among the factors Pepperdine hopes will earn a berth are its nonconference schedule, the 11th toughest in the nation, 11 victories in its 13 games before the WCC Championship Series and its recovery from a 1-5 start.

Believing the berth might come down to a decision between the Waves and a second Big West Conference representative, school officials sent the selection committee a letter citing Pepperdine’s 5-2 record against Big West opponents and the WCC’s 29-19 record against the Big West.

The Waves’ quest of forcing a decisive third game today was derailed in part by allowing three runs in innings when the first two batters were retired.

Jay Adams (5-4) of Pepperdine faced the minimum 12 batters over the first four innings and retired the first two batters in the fifth before Kris Zacuto singled past diving third baseman Duke Sardinha.

The inning was prolonged by Sardinha’s error on Tommy Perez’s grounder. Designated hitter Jeff Walker’s looping single to left sent Zacuto home with the first run.

Aspito’s 10th homer drove in Mike Hymes, who led off the sixth with an infield single, and Scott Walter, who was walked intentionally.

Loyola Marymount increased its lead to 6-0 in the eighth with two runs off reliever Noah Lowry. Anthony Angel tripled home Aspito, who singled, and Zacuto’s single drove in Angel.

Two errors led to Pepperdine’s eighth-inning runs, which scored on Woody Cliffords’ grounder and Danny Garcia’s single.