WCC Baseball: 25th-Ranked Waves Edge Pilots 4-2 in Season Finale

Portland drops another close game to Pepperdine.

Photo: UP Athletics

PORTLAND, Ore. - Portland came up just short for the third straight game to 25th-ranked Pepperdine as the Waves topped the Pilots 4-2 in the regular season finale for both teams on a wet Sunday at Joe Etzel Field.

The Waves defeated the Pilots 3-0 on Friday and 3-2 on Saturday.

Portland ends the season with a 21-30 overall record and a 7-14 mark in the West Coast Conference. Pepperdine has a 35-20 overall record (14-7 WCC) and is seeking an at-large bid into the NCAA postseason.

The Pilots once again got a strong performance on the mound.

After juniors David Gruener and Given Kutz pitched complete games during the first two games of the series, five UP pitchers held the Waves to four runs on nine hits on Sunday.

Starter Chris Siegfried (1-2) lasted 4.1 innings, surrendering three runs on five hits. He struck out two.

Senior Brian Cox spelled Siegfried in the fifth and held Pepperdine scoreless in 1.2 innings of work, allowing just one hit.

Freshman Tommy Renda pitched an inning and allowed his first run this season on two hits. He entered the game with a perfect 0.00 earned run average. Both junior Brian Yoakum and senior Josh Roberts followed Renda with an inning of scoreless relief.

Pepperdine’s Barry Enright (12-4) picked up the complete-game win. He allowed two runs, one earned, on seven hits. He struck out eight and walked one.

The Waves broke open a scoreless tie with three runs in the top of the fifth. The first run came courtesy of a bases-loaded balk by Siegfried. Chase d’Arnaud plated the next two runs with a two-run single to center field.

Portland responded with a run in the bottom of the sixth. After leading off the inning with a double, junior Cory Wiltshire scored when second baseman Denny Duron made a throwing error on a grounder by senior James Allan.

The Waves made it a 4-1 game with a run in the top of the seventh. With two on and two out, the inning appeared to be over when Eric Thames hit a routine grounder to second base.

But as freshman Charlie Herche went to throw to first, he slipped on the wet grass, allowing Thames to reach safely and d’Arnaud to score.

The Pilots pulled within two runs with a tally in the bottom half of the seventh.

Freshman Clayton Shaw, who finished with three hits on the day, led off with a double to right-center field. After advancing to third on a ground out, Shaw scored on a sacrifice fly by senior Justin Ehlers.

It was the first at-bat this year for Ehlers, who became a full-time pitcher this spring after spending time in the outfield the past couple of seasons.

Pepperdine would hold on for the win. The Waves outhit the Pilots 9-7 and both teams committed an error.

Portland honored its ten departing seniors before the game. Allan, Cox, Ehlers, Pat Geraghty, Adam Kerr, Justin Pierce, Roberts, Jesse Rodgers, Sean Sargent and Andrew Wrisley were all playing in their final collegiate game.

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