MALIBU, Calif. – Saint Mary's Baseball had a rough first inning against the Pepperdine Waves on Saturday and weren't able to get the offense going in a 12-1 loss in game three of the series.
 
The loss gave the Waves the series and put the Gaels at 6-6 in WCC play. It was SMC's first series loss since March 17-18 against Santa Clara.
 
Pepperdine had a walk, four-straight singles, and a 3-0 lead before the first out of the first inning was recorded. A strikeout was followed by a groundout that put runners at second and third and SMC was just one out away from limiting the damage.
 
For the third time in two games the Gaels intentionally walked a batter to load the bases, and again it did not work out. A walk plated a run this time to make it 4-0 and Ryan Wiltse's day was done. It was another death by a thousand cuts for Wiltse, who didn't give up much hard contact, but had trouble getting that third out.
 
The Gaels would turn to redshirt freshman Garret Plata, who was lights out in his last appearance striking out five batters in two shutout innings against UC Davis. But Plata would walk the first two batters he faced to plate two more Waves runs, and a wild pitch would score another for a 7-0 Pepperdine lead before he struck out the final batter of the inning.
 
Saint Mary's would be hitless until the seventh inning when Jared Mettam doubled into left field. Nathan Kirpatrick started at catcher and had reached on an error at third right before Mettam's double.
 
He came in to score on a wild pitch for the Gaels first run, but Mettam tried to score as well and was initially caught in a run down before being thrown out at the plate in a 10-1 game.
 
UP NEXT
Saint Mary's will return home to play Cal at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11 before hosting Pacific next weekend.