MALIBU, Calif. – The Saint Mary's offense had a big day at the plate on Thursday, but Pepperdine's offense answered back late to escape with a 12-10 win in game one of a three-game set.
 
SMC was up 10-7 going into the bottom of the eighth, but three-straight hits started the inning for the Waves to load the bases. A walk plated one run, a hard-hit ground ball past a diving effort from Christian Almanza cleared the bases, and then a sac fly put Pepperdine up for good.
 
The Gaels struck first on Gavin Napier's second home run of the season in the top of the first inning. In the third a Bill Ralston single and a Pepperdine error would plate two runs, before Blake McDonald doubled to deep left to score two more to put SMC ahead 5-0.
 
Pepperdine would answer with four runs of their own in the bottom of the third, before Saint Mary's stretched out their lead again in the fifth. Coleman Schmidt blasted a no-doubt, solo home run (7) with one out to make it 6-4.
 
A Nathan Chong double off the wall in right center scored Ralston all the way from first, who got under the catcher's tag on a good throw to the plate for a 7-4 Gaels lead. McDonald caped off the rally with a base hit to left to score Chong and it was 8-4 SMC.
 
The Waves would cut it to a one-run game again in the sixth, but Cody Kashimoto got his first hit of the season in just his second start with a double into the corner in right that scored Jared Mettam and Ralston to give the Gaels a three-run lead again at 10-7 going into the bottom of the eighth.  But Pepperdine would put together the final rally of the game in the eighth and kept Saint Mary's from scoring McDonald who singled and Kashimoto who walked in the ninth for the 12-10 final.
 
UP NEXT
Game two against the Waves is set for 3:00 p.m. on Friday.