SLO Regional Game 1: Pepperdine edges Arizona State

May 30, 2014

Pepperdine edged Arizona State 3-2 in the opening game of the San Luis Obispo regional Friday afternoon at Baggett Stadium.

Arizona State lefty Brett Lilek started the game and suffered a sternum injury in the first inning while covering first base. A run scored on the play, and Lilek had to leave the game before recording three outs.

Freshman righty Seth Martinez took over and surrendered two runs in the second on a bases loaded double off the wall by Pepperdine third baseman Austin Davidson. But Martinez, a freshman making his first postseason performance, shut down the Sun Devils for the next five innings.

Down 3-0 in the second, Arizona State got on the scoreboard with a solo home run by right fielder Trevor Allen. The Sun Devils added another run in the fourth and had two runners on base in the eighth but failed to tie the game.

Pepperdine righty Corey Miller earned the victory, pitching eight and one third innings and allowing two runs. Senior Eric Karch recorded the save.

The Waves will play the winner of Friday evening’s matchup between Cal Poly and Sacramento State in a winner’s bracket game Saturday at 6 p.m. Two-way star left hander Aaron Brown will start Saturday for Pepperdine.

Looking ahead to a possible matchup with Cal Poly, Pepperdine Head Coach Steve Rodriguez said the Mustangs are good but the Waves know exactly what they’re capable of.

“They have an amazing offense and their starting pitching is really good,” Rodriguez. “We’re going to have to be ready to go if they win the second game.”