Michigan
Pepperdine
Wolverines Drop Second Straight at Pepperdine
3/6/1999 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Site:Â Malibu, Calif. (Eddy D. Field Stadium)
Score:Â #9 Pepperdine 7, Michigan 1
Records:Â U-M (3-4), Pepperdine (16-1)
Next U-M Game:Â Sunday, March 7 -- at Pepperdine (Malibu, Calif.), 11 a.m. PST
MALIBU, Calif. -- A five-run fifth inning boosted Pepperdine University to a 7-1 victory over the University of Michigan baseball team Saturday afternoon (March 6) in the second game of a three-game series. The Wolverines dropped to 3-4 on the season, while the ninth-ranked Waves, winners of seven straight, improved to 16-1.
Pepperdine got on the board in the first as Dane Ball walked with one out, moved to third on a double by G.J. Raymundo and scored on a single to center field by Dan Sardinha, who ended up with three hits on the day. Wolverine starter Bryce Ralston (Tacoma, Wash./Curtis HS) avoided further damage as left fielder Rob Bobeda (DeWitt, Mich./DeWitt HS) turned Jared Pitney's flyout into a double play by throwing out Raymundo at the plate.
The Waves erupted for five runs in the fifth. After three singles scored one run to start the inning, Ralston was relieved by Nick Alexander (Alpena, Mich./Alpena HS). Alexander surrended another single and a sacrifice fly before Danny Garcia capped the uprising with a two-run home run that made it 6-0 Waves.
Michigan scored its only run in the eighth. With one out, shortstop Scott Tousa (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands HS) singled to left and moved to second as Brian Bush (Warren, Ohio/Howland HS) reached on an error by the second baseman. A walk to Bobby Scales (Roswell, Ga./Milton HS) loaded the bases, and Jason Alcaraz (Albuquerque, N.M./Eldorado HS) plated Tousa with a sacrifice fly, giving the senior his team-leading 10th RBI.
The Wolverines loaded the bases with one out in the ninth inning, but Pepperdine reliever Dave Reed struck out pinch hitter Bill LaRosa (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS) and got Bush to foul out to end the game.
Michigan will close out its California swing and its series with Pepperdine with an 11 a.m. PST contest on Sunday (March 7). Luke Bonner (Taylor, Mich./Divine Child HS) (1-1) is the Wolverines' probable starter.
NOTES
• Bobby Scales kept his season-long hitting streak alive with a double in the second inning. He has hit safely in all seven games this season.
• With a pair of singles, first baseman Bryan Besco (Westland, Mich./John Glenn HS) was the only Wolverine with more than one hit, and he added his first stolen base of the season.
• Sophomore Joe Young (Detroit, Mich./Bishop Gallagher HS) pitched well in his 1999 debut, going the final four innings and allowing one run on three hits while fanning six.
