By: Wichita State
Box Score MALIBU, Calif.- Wichita State (1-2) held off Pepperdine (7-3) to earn their first victory of the season, 3-2, avoiding a sweep by the Waves.
Left-handed starter Rob Musgrave (1-0) controlled the first seven innings scattering four hits, allowing one walk and striking out four, all on a total of 74 pitches. The junior's one earned run came in the bottom of the eight after a lead off single by Adrian Ortiz, who eventually came around to score after Musgrave was relieved by senior Noah Booth. Booth lasted .1 innings allowing one earned run on two hits. Jared Simon and Anthony Capra also threw .1 innings. Senior Noah Krol earned the save, throwing the last inning, retiring all three batters he faced.
Krol and Tyler Weber went 2-for-4 for the Shockers. Andy Dirks also collected two singles, Ryan Jones drew two walks and hits by Derek Schermerhorn and Conor Gillaspie drove runs home.
Wichita State had base runners in three of the first four innings, but it took until the fifth for the Shockers to cross the plate. With one out, freshman right fielder Jones drew his second walk of the day. Dirks reached on a fielder's choice and Jones was safe at second when a play could not be made. Schermerhorn shot one down the right field line to bring Jones around to score, giving the Shockers their first lead of the season, 1-0.
Musgrave sat down three consecutive batters after giving up lead-off singles in both the second and third innings. Three-up and three-down fourth and fifth innings followed.
The Waves threatened in the bottom of the sixth with a one-out double from shortstop Danny Worth. Musgrave plunked Eric Thames for the second time to put two on, before getting a ground out from Ryan Heroy. Musgrave's only walk of the game, to Pepperdine right fielder Donald Brown, loaded the bases, but Chase d'Arnaud flew out to center field to end the inning and leave the Shockers unscathed.
Two important runs for Wichita State came in the top of the seventh. Dirks led off with a single to left field and advanced to second on a grounder by Damon Sublett. With two outs, Gillaspie doubled to center field, pushing across Dirks, and made it home himself on a wild pitch and a throwing error by the catcher, giving the Shockers a 3-0 lead.
Musgrave held off Pepperdine with four pitches in the seventh inning, forcing three pop-outs to make quick work of the Waves.
Pepperdine came thundering back in the bottom of the eighth, loading the bases with the first three hitters. Ortiz singled for his only hit of the game before Booth took over on the mound. Worth doubled to right field and Thames was hit for a third time to juice the bases. Booth struck out Heroy before giving up a two-run single to Brown. Simon came in for a righty-on-righty match up, and did the job, getting the second out on a fielder's choice. He was relieved by Capra, who struck out Mark Tracy, retaining Wichita State's 3-2 lead.
After Capra issued a lead-off walk in the ninth, Krol came in to close the door with a strike out, pop out and fly out.
The Shockers will fly to Hawaii tonight and have one day of rest before back-to-back double headers against Hawaii-Hilo. Wichita State takes on the Vulcans for two games on both Feb. 20 and Feb. 21. Tuesday's contests start at 7 p.m. CST and Wednesday's games begin at 4 p.m. CST.
-Wichita State-
