SAN FRANCISCO – Behind a complete game four-hitter by junior Anthony Shew, USF was able to salvage a split of a doubleheader with Pepperdine on Saturday afternoon at Benedetti Diamond.

After dropping the first game of the twin bill 5-4, Shew took matters into his own hands in the nightcap and put an end to the Dons five-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over Pepperdine (23-21, 13-7).

Shew flirted with perfection, as the junior right-hander retired the first 22 batters he faced before giving up a solo home run to Brandon Caruso with one out in the eighth inning that cut the Dons lead to 3-1.

USF scored two runs in the fifth and added one more in the seventh to build a 3-0 lead off Pepperdine starter Ryan Wilson. Nico Giarratano gave USF a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning with a two out single up the middle that scored Zack McCoy and Connor Hofmann.

The Dons staked Shew to a 3-0 lead in the seventh when Brendan Hendriks' one out single scored Hofmann, who had led off USF's half of the inning with a single.

All eyes then turned back to Shew who had not allowed a base runner over the first seven innings. Shew retired his 22^nd consecutive batter when he struck out Brad Anderson for the first out in the eighth inning. However, Caruso ended Shew's bid for a perfect game, no-hitter and a shutout with one swing of the bat, as he lined a 1-1 offering up into the netting in left field for his fourth home run of the season.

The Dons added two unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth on Kyle Norman's two out single that scored Ryan Matranga, who led off the inning with a double, and McCoy.

Despite Shew's dominance over the first eight innings, the Waves did not go quietly in the ninth. With one run in and two on, the Waves got the tying run to the plate in cleanup hitter Anderson, who lined sharply to Derek Atkinson in center field to end the game.

It was Shew's second complete game of the season and he needed just 100 pitchers to earn his seventh win of the season. He struck out seven and did not walk a batter.

"We got some clutch hits in game two to back up Anthony, who threw great," said head coach Nino Giarratano. "He had a couple of extra days rest after a tough outing at BYU and he had all of his pitches working today. I was hoping he'd get the perfect game but our guys know it's more important to win the game and he delivered."

Game one wasn't as clean for the Dons as USF squandered two leads, made two errors and allowed two solo home runs in the seventh inning as USF's losing streak reached five games with a 5-4 defeat.

The Dons got on the board first in the bottom of third, as Giarratano delivered a two-out single off Wave starter A.J. Puckett that scored Michael Eaton from second to give USF a 1-0 lead.

A pair of USF errors helped the Waves score three times in the top of the fourth inning. With runners on first and second with no outs, Manny Jefferson advanced the runner with a sacrifice bunt to the left of the mound, but pitcher Christian Cecilio (L, 5-3) threw wildly to first base, enabling Caruso to score to tie the game at 1-1. Sacrifice flies by Josh Davis and Hutton Moyer later in the inning gave the Waves a 3-1 lead.

Hofmann powered the Dons back in front in the bottom of the fifth inning with a three-run home run high into the left field netting.

USF took a 4-3 lead into the top of the seventh but solo home runs by Moyer and Anderson off Cecilo pushed the Waves back ahead, 5-4.

Relievers Chandler Blanchard and Max Gamboa (S, 3) retired the last six Dons in order to preserve the victory for Wave starter A.J. Puckett (6-4).

"I thought when we took the lead 4-3 we were in great position but those two home runs sunk us and we weren't able to get a big hit when we needed it. It's hard to take a lead three times in a game of that magnitude.

"Every game feels like a playoff game now. Five of our right losses in the conference have been by just one run so we're really close. Tomorrow is a big game. It's that time of year when guys have to step up."

USF (23-24, 15-8 WCC) is expected to send senior left-hander Matt Narahara to the mound on Sunday as the Dons and Waves meet in the rubber game of this three-game series at Benedetti Diamond. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.