University of San Francisco Athletics

Box Score

SAN FRANCISCO – USF nearly erased a six-run deficit by scoring five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning against Pepperdine but dropped a 7-6 decision to the Waves after the Dons left the bases loaded with just one out in the bottom of the ninth.
 
The loss drops USF's overall record to 23-25 and 15-9 in the West Coast Conference while Pepperdine improves to 24-21 overall and 14-7 in the WCC after taking two of the three games in the weekend set at Benedetti Diamond.
 
Pepperdine seemed to be on cruise control behind starter Jackson McClelland, as the Waves scored two runs in the first, three in the fifth, one in the sixth and one more in the seventh to build a 7-1 lead. The Waves chased Dons starter Matt Narahara after the left-hander allowed a two-run home run to Hutton Moyer in the fifth inning that gave Pepperdine a 5-1 lead.
 
Narahara allowed 11 hits and five earned runs in his 4.0 innings of work.
 
The Waves tacked on single runs in the sixth and eighth off relievers Mack Meyer and Sheldon Lee to take a 7-1 lead.
 
Wave starter Jackson McClelland allowed just one run through his first seven innings of work, that coming on a sacrifice fly by Zack McCoy that scored Derek Atkinson in the second inning.
 
However, McClelland was removed from the game after allowing back-to-back singles to Brendan Hendriks and Atkinson to lead off USF's half of the eighth inning.
 
With Chandler Blanchard on in relief of McClelland, the Dons loaded the bases after Wave shortstop Manny Jefferson mishandled a tailor-made double play ball off the bat of Dominic Miroglio.
 
Justin McCullough then followed with a single to left that scored Hendricks to cut the lead to 7-2.
 
Blanchard's wild pitch enabled Atkinson to score with the second run of the inning that made it 7-3.
 
The Dons then scored three more times with two outs in the frame.
 
Michael Eaton singled to left to score Miroglio and McCullough to cut the lead to 7-5 and then a double by Connor Hofmann down the left field line scored Eaton all the way from first to bring the Dons to within one run at 7-6.
 
Max Gamboa came on in relief of Blanchard and struck out Nico Giarratano with the bases loaded to end the inning.
 
After Travis Ulvestad worked a scoreless ninth inning, the Dons loaded the bases without a benefit of a base hit in the bottom of the ninth, but Gamboa struck out Blake Valley and retired Matt Sinatro on a ground ball to end the game.
 
The Dons also left the bases loaded in the fifth and seventh innings and stranded 11 runners on the day.
 
The loss was the Dons sixth in their last seven games and their sixth one-run loss in conference action.
 
"The kids played their hearts out to comeback from a six-run deficit," said head coach Nino Giarratano. "We got what we needed late in the game with the exception of one more hit in the ninth, but we just weren't able to execute. We got couple of pitches that we could have put in play but we just couldn't pull the trigger.
 
"We left a ton of guys on base today and that's tough to take in a one-run game that we should have won."
 
McClelland picked up the win to improve to 6-2 on the season. He big right-hander struck out eight in 7.0 innings of work. Gamboa recorded the last four outs of the game to pick up the save.
 
Atkinson went 3-for-4 on the day while McCoy also picked up a pair of hits to lead USF's offense.
 
The Waves rapped out 17 hits on the day, with Brad Anderson, Aaron Barnett and Brandon Caruso accounting for nine of the 17 hits from the heart of the lineup.
 
USF will step out of conference play next weekend to take on Dallas Baptist in a three-game road series that starts Friday night.
 
After a non-conference game at Stanford on May 12, USF will try to nail down a spot in the WCC Championship Tournament it hosts the Loyola Marymount Lions in a crucial three-game set at Benedetti Diamond, May 15-17.