SAN FRANCISCO -- A Pepperdine pinch-hit home run with two outs in the ninth forced extra innings and eventually led to a 6-5 USF loss in 12 innings on Saturday afternoon at Benedetti Diamond.  
 
USF (23-25, 8-15 WCC) led 5-4 in the ninth as Brendan Jenkins (0-4) was one out away from his second consecutive save, but Pepperdine pinch-hitter Ben Rodriguez sent the first pitch he saw from the right-hander into the right-center netting, tying the game at 5-5.
 
The Waves plated the game-winning run three innings later when Matt Crowder doubled home Jeremy Goldenetz from first after Goldenetz led off the 12^th inning with a walk issued by Jenkins.
 
"Tough game," head coach Nino Giarratano said. "Nobody on with two outs in the ninth and a pinch-hitter hits a solo home run to tie it; that set us backwards. The momentum switched and we could never get it back.
 
"And then just our inability to execute offensively with runners on base. We had runners in scoring position in the eighth and if we score there then maybe that home run doesn't hurt us."   
 
The Dons loaded the bases in the bottom of the 12th after Aaron Ping walked, Matt Sinatro singled and Smoot was intentionally walked, but Dominic Miroglio's sharply-hit line drive found the glove of right fielder Brandon Caruso for the final out.
 
Six Dons registered multiple hits on the day, highlighted by Michael Perri's 2-for-3 effort against his former club that included a three-run home run that tied the game in the sixth.
 
Allen Smoot reached base in six of his seven plate appearances, tallying a pair of hits while drawing a season-high four walks and scoring twice.
 
USF loaded the bases with one out in the second inning, but only came away with one run on Harrison Bruce's RBI groundout.
 
That gave USF a brief 1-0 lead until Pepperdine (18-26, 7-13 WCC) tied it at 1-1 on Jordan Qsar's run-scoring groundout in the fourth.
 
Both teams traded blows in the sixth as the Waves were able to get to USF starter Grant Goodman after back-to-back singles to start the inning prompted Giarratano to summon righty Benji Post from the bullpen. Post allowed an RBI single to the first batter he saw, which was Qsar, before Matt Gelalich lifted a two-out two-run home run to right field that put Pepperdine in front 4-1.
 
Perri's blast allowed USF to answer right back in the bottom of the inning. Smoot helped spark the scoring by drawing a leadoff walk before Riley Helland ripped a single through the right side. It was Perri's fourth home run of the year.   
 
Miroglio's double in the seventh scored Smoot, who again had drawn a walk to get aboard, and gave USF the 5-4 advantage that they carried until Rodriguez's homer in the ninth.  
 
Jenkins threw a season-high four innings in relief, allowing two runs on five hits while walking two and striking out five in the defeat. He was able to work out of jams in the 10^th and 11^th innings after allowing the leadoff runner to reach base in both frames before finally giving up the go-ahead run in the 12^th.  
 
USF left a season-high 17 runners on base that included stranding the bases loaded in the seventh, eighth and 12^th innings.
 
Sunday's rubber match will begin at 1 p.m. from Benedetti Diamond as left-hander Scott Parker (4-1, 1.80) makes his first start of the season for the Dons, while Pepperdine is slated to send right-hander Wil Jensen (2-6, 3.63) to the mound to close out the series.