SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Santa Clara Broncos scored runs in the first and third innings of Saturday's WCC tilt with Pepperdine, and the Waves responded with a four-run seventh to win 4-2 at Schott Stadium. Santa Clara led for more than half the game, but could not respond to the Waves' big seventh inning in the loss. 

Sophomore starting pitcher Peter Hendron (L, 2-2) threw 6.1 innings and allowed four earned runs on six hits with no walks and three strikeouts. He retired 10 in a row from the final out of the second to the final out of the fifth, and recorded three straight outs after a leadoff single in the sixth. Only two batters for the Waves (16-6, 3-2 WCC) reached against Hendron through the first six innings. 

Jackson McClelland started for Pepperdine and threw 7.0 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits with no walks and six strikeouts. He retired the last eight batters he faced through the end of the seventh.

The Broncos (9-13, 0-2 WCC) produced three hits in the first inning, including a leadoff single from senior second baseman Zach Looney, who made his way to third on a double by senior left fielder Casey Munoz. Senior first baseman Mac Hess followed with an RBI single to put the Broncos up 1-0. 

In the third, freshman catcher Stevie Berman hit his first collegiate home run over the left field wall to give the home team a 2-0 advantage. Berman was one of six Broncos to record a hit Saturday afternoon and Munoz led the way with two hits.

Pepperdine hit for the team cycle in a four-run seventh to take its first lead of the game. Junior center fielder Aaron Brown hit an RBI triple off the center field wall to score redshirt junior right fielder Bryan Langlois, who led off the inning with a double. Sophomore first baseman Brad Anderson tied the game at two with a line drive sacrifice fly to right, and two batters later, junior catcher Kolten Yamaguchi hit a two-run homer to left field to make the score 4-2.

Kevin George entered the game after the home run and recorded consecutive swinging strikeouts to end the Pepperdine rally. The freshman pitched the rest of the way for Santa Clara and finished with a line of 2.2 shutout innings, allowing no hits or walks and striking out three. 

Senior closer Eric Karch (SV, 7) recorded his conference-best seventh save of the season and second save in as many days for Pepperdine. Munoz singled up the middle with one out for the Broncos in the ninth, and was caught stealing by Yamaguchi during Hess' at bat. 

The Broncos and Waves conclude the three-game set tomorrow with a 1 p.m. first pitch from Schott Stadium. Steven Wilson (0-1, 4.71 ERA) will take the hill for Santa Clara against Pepperdine's Aaron Brown (3-1, 3.93 ERA).

Game Notes: First pitch was at 3:02 p.m. … time of game was 2:18 … attendance was 381… Santa Clara used the same starting nine in the same positions as in Friday's game … Kert Woods made all three outs in the top of the first … the Broncos had a streak of 37.2 innings without an error snapped in the ninth.