MALIBU, Calif. --- The Portland Pilots scored six times in the top of the ninth inning, but the No. 28 Pepperdine Waves held on to win 8-7 on Friday afternoon in a West Coast Conference baseball game at Eddy D. Field Stadium. Trailing 8-1 in the final frame, the Pilots scored six runs on five hits.

After three straight one-out singles, two by UP pinch hitters Chase Powell and Nik Kosach, junior Justin Ehlers picked up the RBI with a base-loaded single to right field off of Pepperdine reliever Bryce Stowell. Stowell then struck out freshman Sean Nicol, before sophomore Cory Wiltshire drew a bases-loaded walk to pick up an RBI.

With two-outs and the bases still juiced, sophomore Danny Meier hit a grand slam to left field that pulled the Pilots within 8-7. It’s Meier’s team-high sixth home run this season.

Pepperdine reliever Brian Ozols then retired senior Matthew Peters to end the game. It’s the first save this season for Ozols.

Portland falls to 13-28 overall and 2-11 in the WCC. Pepperdine improves to 28-16, 8-5 in the conference.

Pepperdine starter Paul Coleman (6-4) gave up just one run on three hits 7.0 innings, while striking out 12. Stowell gave up six runs on six hits in 2.2 innings.

Freshman starter Blaine Hardy (2-3) picks up the loss for Portland. Hardy gave up eight runs, only five earned, on 11 hits in 5.1 innings. Relievers Brian Yoakum and Brian Cox held the Waves scoreless during the final 2.2 innings.

Pepperdine got on the board first with four runs in the bottom of the third inning. After three straight singles loaded the bases, Chad Tracy knocked in two with a double to left-center field. Adrian Ortiz then scored on wild pitch by Hardy, before Nick Kliebert plated Tracy with a single up the middle.

The Pilots scored their first run in the top of the fifth. Trailing 4-0 and runners on first and second with two outs, Nicol sent an RBI single to left-center field that scored junior Jesse Rodgers.

Pepperdine put up another four runs in the sixth to increase its lead to 8-1. Justin Tellam led off the inning with a solo home run to left field. A few batters later, Ortiz hit a two-run single to center field. Ortiz would later score on a Kliebert single. The Pilots committed all three of their errors during the sixth.

Pepperdine totaled 15 hits, led by David Uribes with three. Ortiz, Tracy and Kliebert all knocked in two runs.

Meier was the only Pilot to record multiple hits as he went 2-for-5 for the game, with four RBI’s. Rodgers scored two runs.

Peters went 0-for-5 on the day, ending his hitting streak at a career-best 12 games.

The Pilots and Waves next play on Saturday at 3 p.m. The final game of the three-game series is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday.