SAN FRANCISCO — A back-and-forth series was decided Sunday with a back-and-forth game, as three lead changes, two ties and runs scored in all but one inning led to a wild 10-8 West Coast Conference series-clinching victory for Pepperdine over the University of San Francisco baseball team at Benedetti Diamond.
 
The Dons (5-14, 1-2 WCC) battled back time and time again Sunday, erasing deficits of 1-0, 5-3 and 8-6. They took a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the fifth with three runs, then got a shutdown inning in the top of the sixth from reliever Josh Mollerus, who stranded the tying run in scoring position to preserve USF's one-run advantage.
 
"What a heroic effort by the offensive part of our team," said San Francisco head coach Nino Giarratano. "Maybe six times we came back from behind to either tie it or take the lead today, so wow, what a historic day for the offensive piece of it, just battling and big hits and big home runs and big two-out RBIs. Just wonderful stuff on that side of it."
 
Pepperdine (7-10, 2-1 WCC) led four different times Sunday and had to come from behind itself once while also breaking two other ties. The Waves scored in six of nine innings, including the deciding two runs in the top of the ninth to break an 8-8 deadlock. They took advantage of 11 free passes on the day (nine walks, two hit-by-pitch) with four of them scoring and six others getting into scoring position. The Waves had their leadoff batter reach base in six of nine innings, with four of those scoring runs.
 
"We bite ourselves by doing bad things on the mound," said Giarratano. "Hoping we can get a little better pitching. I think offensively this is as good a club as you're gonna find, just as far as clutch and 'big time.' We can do a lot of great things offensively if we could learn how to pitch."
 
Darius Foster had a huge day at the plate for the Dons, going 3 for 4 with a home run, two doubles, three RBIs and three runs scored. He single-handedly scored the Dons' first run of the game in the bottom of the first to tie it at 1-1. He hit a one-out double, moved to third on a wild pitch, then sprinted home on a pop out to the first baseman in foul territory. His solo home run in the third brought USF back within one at 3-2. And it was his two-run double in the fifth that tied the game at 5-5 after the first two batters of the inning had moved into scoring position.
 
Jacob Munoz hit his third home run of the season in the fourth, a solo bomb after a nine-pitch at-bat that he sent over the high netting in right field to pull USF within one again at 4-3. Ryan Davis went 2 for 4 in the nine-hole of the order, including perhaps the biggest clutch hit of the day for the Dons. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, USF trailing by one and the tying run on second base, he sent the first pitch he saw into left field, scoring the run and tying the game at 8-8.
 
San Francisco next travels to BYU for a three-game WCC series starting Thursday. Fans can find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.