Tulane Green Wave Salvages Victory in Final Game Against Pepperdine Waves

The Tulane Green Wave baseball team managed to win their finale after losing two close games against the Pepperdine Waves.

Tulane pitcher Luc Fladda on the mound for an eight-inning outing against Nicholls at the 2024 Corvallis Regional. | Tulane Athletics

The Tulane Green Wave baseball team was able to salvage a victory in the final game of their three-game series with the Pepperdine Waves, as they won, 7-4, on Sunday in Malibu, Calif.

The victory snapped Tulane’s first losing streak of the season.

The Green Wave (8-3) wrap up their four-game west coast road trip on Monday when they travel to Long Beach State for a one-game showdown at 8 p.m. central. Tulane returns home later this week to prepare for a three-game series with North Dakota State that starts on Friday.

After falling behind 3-0 in the first inning, the Green Wave offense finally got going. Tulane finished the game with 14 hits and took the lead for the first time with a three-run third inning that gave it a 4-3 lead.

Pepperdine did tie the game in the fourth inning, 4-4, but Tulane answered with a run in the fifth and two more runs in the ninth to put the game away.

Gavin Schulz had a big day for Tulane, finishing 3-for-4 with three RBI and three doubles. Tanner Chun, Michael Lombardi, Mathias Haas and Andrew McKenna each had two hits for the Green Wave.

Sunday’s starting pitcher, Garrett Payne, was unable to record an out after the Waves ambushed him for three runs on just one hit. The Green Wave tapped into four relievers for the game, with reliever John-Paul Sauer claiming the victory. He pitched 3.1 innings of solid relief, allowing three hits and one run while striking out five. Lombardi picked up his second save of the season.

The Green Wave lost the first two games of the series, both by the score of 2-1. Friday’s loss was rough, as Pepperdine’s Joe Cardinale drove in the game-winning run on a single in the ninth inning to claim a walk-off win. That erased a sterling start from Luc Fladda, who threw seven innings, scattering six hits and one run. He struck out seven and walked one. He only allowed one extra base hit.

Saturday’s loss was frustrating for Tulane because it had more hits (seven) than Pepperdine (five) but stranded nine baserunners.

Pepperdine grabbed the lead early in the game, touching Green Wave starter Trey Cehajic (2-1) for two runs. He lasted five innings.

Brock Slaton led the offense for Tulane with a pair of hits including the team's RBI, which cut the Waves’ lead to one run. Haas also had a pair of hits. Lombardi, Connor Rasmussen and Chun each had a hit.