The Rundown
Malibu, Calif. - The University of San Francisco Dons (25-23, 14-10 WCC) fell in the series finale against Pepperdine (24-18, 14-7 WCC), 10-2, as the Waves took the three-game West Coast Conference series.
 
The Waves would get going early in this game, scoring two in the bottom of the second inning. With one-out and runners on first and third, a fly ball to right field would be deep enough to bring the runner home. A batter later, Billy Cook would single through the left, which would bring the runner around to score from second base to make it 2-0, Pepperdine.
 
Pepperdine would add runs in the fourth and fifth inning to increase their lead to 4-0. In the fourth, the Waves would get runners on second and third with two-outs. Pepperdine's Will Lambert would reach safely on an infield single, which would bring the runner in from third. The fifth run in the fifth inning would come on another sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to move the Pepperdine lead to four.
 
The Dons would have their opportunities to get back into the game, including in the seventh inning when USF would get runners on first and second with one-out. After a strike out and a hit by pitch would have the bases loaded with two-outs for USF. Michael Perri would come out and hit the ball hard but the shortstop would make a great play and get the final out of the inning at second base.
 
The eighth inning would see Pepperdine break the game open with six runs on six hits to bump their lead up to 10-0. USF would add two runs in the ninth inning on back-to-back sacrifice flies from RJ Cordeiro and Riley Helland to make the final 10-2, Pepperdine.
 
With this loss, the Dons move to 25-23 on the season and 14-10 in the WCC. They will next matchup against Nevada in a midweek, non-conference game.

COACHES CORNER
USF head coach Nino Giarratano
On the missed chances:
"We had opportunities in the game but we just couldn't execute. We left the strike zone a bit and didn't put the ball in play, which has been our nemesis all season. We started the game with a little off double but couldn't get him across in the first inning. Made a base running error in the second, making the first out at third. Even down 4-0 in the seventh, bases loaded and Mike (Perri) up, and Mike hit a hard ball that the shortstop made a great play to get the out. We beat ourselves, we didn't play well, we didn't pitch well, we didn't execute and offensively we weren't good enough. We gave away the momentum in the sixth inning yesterday and we weren't able to get it back since."
 
On the defensive errors:
"We didn't defend well today, we made the error with the bases loaded then it got away from us."
 
On Jenkins' performance:
"Jenks was good today, if we field the ball at third base and get the out at home. He was good, Jenkins was plenty good enough today, we just got tired, we got frustrated and some of our youth showed today."
 
On the team's performance at the end of the season:
"We haven't played really good down the home stretch, and hopefully this can be a turning point for us. I want the kids to play hard, we are a little banged up like most teams are around this time of the season. We have guys who can step up and play well for us, and had some guys emerge this weekend that really helped us."

GAME STATS

• Ping was the hit leader for the Dons today, notching two singles.
• Helland's RBI in the ninth inning is his 27th of the year.
• Cordeiro's sac fly in the ninth was his ninth RBI of the season.
• Nick Yovetich's one-for-three day moves him to 11 hits on the year.
• Jenknins' appearance today was his pitching staff leading 26th of the year.
• Coming out of the bullpen, Haydn King would make his second appearance in the same week.