MALIBU, Calif. --- Cody Hawken and Ryan Hoogerwerf hit back-to-back homers and were responsible for all four Portland runs, and Camden Muller and Tate Budnick combined to limit the Waves to just five hits as the Pilots blanked Pepperdine 4-0 to clinch the West Coast Conference series on Sunday afternoon at Eddy D. Field Stadium. It's the first series win for the Pilots over the Waves since 2011, and it's only Portland's second series win ever in Malibu.
 
Muller (3-3) set the tone on the hill early as he didn't allow a hit through the first 4.0 innings. Meanwhile Hawken and Hoogerwerf provided all the runs Portland would need when the pair hit consecutive solo home runs in the top of the fourth inning. Hawken led off the frame with his team-leading 10th homer of the season, and Hoogerwerf followed with home run number six to give the Pilots a 2-0 lead.
 
The lead would stand as Muller continued to roll on the mound. He'd leave after 6.0 scoreless innings, and the Waves collected just three hits off the starter.
 
Budnick picked up where Muller left off and promptly retired the first six batters he faced. The lead was still 2-0 in the top of the ninth inning, when Hawken and Hoogerwerf came through again with a couple of insurance runs. With two outs and Jace McKinney on base, Beau Brundage extended the inning with a single. Hawken then singled to right-center field, which allowed McKinney to score.
 
Hoogerwerf followed Hawken's lead with an RBI single of his own to push Portland's lead to 4-0.
 
Budnick did run into a little trouble in the home half of the ninth when Pepperdine was able to load the bases with two outs. But Budnick re-grouped and sealed his third save of the year when he induced a game-ending foul out off the bat of Quincy McAfee.
 
The Pilots end conference play with a 12-15 league record, and the 12 WCC wins are the most for Portland since the 2012 team also claimed 12 victories. Portland sits at 23-29 overall with one more game to play, which is a non-conference contest on Monday afternoon at UC Santa Barbara. The 23 wins are also the most for the program since that 2012 season.
 
Despite the series loss, Pepperdine (29-22, 17-10 WCC) still claims the WCC's regular season title. They'll be one of four conference teams to square off in Stockton, Calif., next week at the WCC Championship.
 
Portland turned four double plays on Sunday, and the Pilots finished with 15 hits. Hoogerwerf and Chad Stevens each had three hits, and Hawken, Brundage, Ryan Kim, and Matt Kelly each registered two.
 
Pepperdine starter Christian Stoutland (4-4) takes the loss, and he was the first of four pitchers used by the Waves.
 
Portland won the series opener Friday night 2-1 with the help of a Budnick homer in the top of the 10th inning, and Pepperdine won Saturday's game by a 6-2 margin. Portland's only other series win over the Waves in Malibu came in 2010, which was a sweep.
 
First pitch on Monday for the Pilots and Gauchos is set for 2 p.m. at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium in Santa Barbara, Calif.