MALIBU, Calif. – Chicago State baseball concluded its week-long road trip through the state of California Sunday afternoon by dropping a 17-1 decision to 17th-ranked Pepperdine in seven innings at Eddy G. Field Stadium. The Waves improved to 16-6 on the year, while the Cougars saw their season record drop to 2-21.
The visitors opened the game with a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when senior Patrick Hernandez (Romeoville, IL/Triton CC) (Romeoville, Ill.) lined an RBI single to right field that brought home sophomore Michael Carpen (Whiting, IN/Clark) (Whiting, Ind.), who led off the game with a walk, from second base. Pepperdine bounced back with two runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-1 lead. Freshman Nate Johnson plated senior Nate Simon from second with a run-scoring double up the middle. Johnson would later score on an RBI sacrifice fly to left field by freshman Aaron Gates.
The Waves added a run in the second inning that increased its lead to 3-1 following Simon's RBI single through the right side off CSU starter William Lawrence (Harvey, IL/Thornwood HS) (Harvey, Ill.) that scored Brian Humphries from second. Humphries reached base a couple of plays earlier by walking and stealing second base.
Humphries connected on a two-RBI double to right center as part of a four-run third inning that hiked the home team's leading margin to 7-1. Another two-run double by Humphries in the fourth highlighted another four-run inning for the home team as its lead jumped to 11-1. Pepperdine finished the game by scoring six additional runs in the sixth inning for the final margin.
The Waves were led by Humphries as he went 2-for-3 with four RBI and two doubles, while Simon and junior Trent Dietrich also tallying two hits apiece. Junior Bryce Uhrig (1-0) captured the win for Pepperdine as he gave up only one run on five hits while striking out four and walked two in five innings thrown.
Red-shirt freshman Albert Carpen (Whiting, IN/Clark) (Whiting, Ind.) led Chicago State at the plate by hitting 2-for-2 and posted a stolen base. Lawrence (1-2) took the loss after allowing seven runs (four earned) on five hits in two and two-thirds innings of work while recording five walks and one strikeout.
The Cougars return to action Tuesday afternoon in Chicago as they welcome 2008 NCAA Tournament participant Eastern Illinois to Gwendolyn Brooks Memorial Field in their home opener with the first pitch set for 3 p.m.
~CSU~
