MALIBU, Calif. —  Sophomore Tanner Murray led the Aggies with his sixth multi-hit performance of the year while the UC Davis defense stranded eight Waves on the base paths—including five in scoring position. But the Aggie bats could not find a rhythm, lifting Pepperdine to a narrow, 1-0, victory over UC Davis in Friday afternoon's series opener at Eddy D. Field Stadium in Malibu, Calif. 

The Aggies (6-6 overall) scratched out five hits on the day, but were held scoreless by Pepperdine's Cooper Chandler (1-0) who went the full nine on the mound for the Waves. 

Pepperdine got just enough offense to improve to 4-6 overall on the season, riding the right arm of Chandler, who allowed only three base runners to advance to second base—and one to third base—on the day. 

Right-hander Brett Erwin (2-1) also pitched well, allowing one earned run on seven hits while striking out one over 5.2 innings before turning things over to the bullpen, as sophomore Nick Johnson and redshirt junior Chase Lyford held down the fort, scattering just two hits over the final 2.1 innings combined to give their offense a chance. 

A bunt-single by Matt Kanfer set the stage for the Waves' only run of the game in the home half of the fourth as he gained an extra 90 feet on a wild pitch before coming around to score on an RBI-single through the left side by Cory Wills. 

The Aggies threatened in their half of the seventh after placing their first base runner in scoring position on the day thanks to a double by junior Cooper Morrison—his fifth of the season. Morrison then then moved over to third on a single by senior Caleb Van Blake, but that would be as close as the Aggies would get. 

In all the Aggies stranded eight Waves on base—five of those in scoring position, including a runner at third in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. UC Davis however, couldn't close the gap, notching one-out singles in the first and fifth to no avail before Murray's single late in the ninth was snuffed out as Pepperdine shut the door.

Murray led the Aggies with his sixth multi-hit performance of the year and extended his streak to six games. 

Game two of the series is scheduled for tomorrow (Mar. 9) at 1 p.m. 


ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO
Established during the 2017-18 academic year, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.

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