March 24, 2006
Box Score
MALIBU, Calif. - Pepperdine used a stellar pitching performance to shut out Northwestern 8-0 at Eddy D. Field Stadium in Malibu, Calif., Friday afternoon. Caleb Fields had two of NU's four hits as the Wildcats fall to 3-13 on the season.
The Waves started the scoring in the first inning, touching Wildcat starter George Kontos (Lincolnwood, Ill./Niles West) for two early runs.
Kontos settled down after that. As a matter of fact, he retired the next 11 Pepperdine hitters.
In the fifth, a one out walk by Kontos led to the Waves' third run of the game. The walk moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on an error after an infield single. The run was unearned.
PU plated two more runs in the sixth inning, this time a double and two singles were added by another wild pitch.
The Wildcats' best chance to score came in the top of the seventh inning. Left fielder Anthony Wycklendt (Glendale, Wis./Nicolet) hit a two-out single up the middle to center field. California native Max Mann (Los Angeles, Calif./Brentwood) then lined a single to center putting runners on first and second with two outs. A walk to Fields loaded the bases. A bouncing groundball to the Pepperdine shortstop ended the Wildcat threat.
Pepperdine scored another unearned run in the seventh and two more earned runs in the eighth.
With the bases loaded, freshman Mike Folan (Arlington Heights, Ill./St. Viator) struck out the final out of the eighth inning.
Offensively, Fields was the only Wildcat with multiple hits, ending his day 2-for-2 with a pair of singles and a walk.
The Wildcats and Waves play game two of their three-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m. (PT).
Sunday's series finale game time has been changed to a noon (PT) start.