MALIBU, Calif.- The Portland Pilots (10-35, 5-18 WCC) gave the WCC West Division-leading Pepperdine Waves (22-25, 16-7 WCC) all they could handle Saturday afternoon before falling 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning at Eddy D. Field Stadium. Brent Lewis’ RBI-single with no outs gave the Waves their fifth straight victory over the Pilots this season.

Pepperdine answered every Portland challenge, matching each Pilot run in the bottom of the same inning. The Pilots went up 1-0 on Jeffrey Crinklaw’s sacrifice fly in the fourth inning scoring Gustaf Little, but Pepperdine evened the score on Patrick Rooney’s run-scoring single in the bottom of the frame.

Freshman outfielder Billy Krause brought home Crinklaw in the seventh with a two-out single up the middle, and Portland would add another run on a wild pitch for a short-lived 3-1 lead.

The Waves chased Portland freshman right-hander Sean Sargent in the bottom of the inning after Steve Kleen’s bases loaded RBI-single. Freshman Given Kutz relieved Sargent with the bases still loaded and gave up a single to Lewis, tying the game at three.

In the top of the ninth, Portland sophomore Justin Pierce led off with an infield single and was sacrificed to second by Adam Kerr. Pepperdine brought in closer Steve Kleen, replacing starter Kea Kometani, to get the final two outs of the frame. Kleen (3-2) forced Krause to flyout and struck out Jesse Rodgers to silence the threat and set up the game-winning run.

Luke Salas walked to lead off the Pepperdine ninth and advanced to third on Kleen’s single. Lewis ended it with a hard single to deep left field.

Sargent kept the Pilots close with a solid 6.2 innings pitched, scattering 10 hits. Kutz fell to 2-2 on the season with the loss. Crinklaw and Pierce finished with two hits apiece for Portland, while Travis Vetters extended his hitting steak to 12 games.

The teams will conclude the three-game set on Sunday with another 1:00 p.m. start. Pepperdine can clinch at least a share of its sixth consecutive division title with a victory in Sunday's series finale against the Pilots