BOX SCORE I PLAY-BY-PLAY

MALIBU, Calif. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team fell to Pepperdine, 9-2, on a rainy Opening Day in Malibu on Friday afternoon at Eddy D. Stadium. The Waves (1-0) used a five-run fourth inning to surge past the Colonels (0-1) and take game one of this weekend’s three-game series.

Sophomore right-hander Anthony Bazzani picked up the loss for EKU, going 3.2 innings and allowing six earned runs on five hits while striking out four batters. Bazzani looked sharp early, striking out two batters early and breezing through the first two innings; however, he surrendered two runs in the third and then unraveled in the fourth as he hit two batters, threw a wild pitch and gave up a bases-loaded single to Sam Meyer that made it 7-0.

Senior right-hander Macon Smith was the most effective of five Colonel pitchers on the afternoon as he threw 3.1 innings of relief and allowed just one run on two hits.

Right-hander Scott Frazier earned the win for Pepperdine as he worked five innings and allowed just one run on four hits.

Junior Richie Rodriguez led the Colonels at the plate, collecting a double, a triple and plating one of the Colonels’ two runs on the day. Freshman Bryan Soloman, meanwhile, produced in his collegiate debut as he went 3-for-4 with two singles and a double.

Chris Amezquita paced the Waves offensively, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and three runs scored.

After falling behind 7-0 early, the Colonels mounted their best chance at a comeback in the top of the fifth as they loaded the bases with one out. Sophomore Matt Phipps then lofted a sacrifice fly to left field that scored freshman Sean Hagen and put EKU on the board. After a balk advanced both Soloman and sophomore Austin Grisham into scoring position, senior Bryce Labhart ripped a line drive up the middle that Frazier reflectively snagged, robbing a potential two-run single and ending the threat.

Rodriguez opened the eighth with a triple to center and then scored on an RBI groundout by junior Jacob Daniel to make it 8-2, but the Colonels would not score another run and the Waves added an insurance run in the bottom half of the eighth.

The forecast for Saturday looks somewhat sunnier as the Colonels and Waves meet for game two of the series at 4:00 p.m. EST.