COLLEGE BASEBALL: ENRIGHT ALL RIGHT FOR PEPPERDINE RIGHT-HANDER SHUTS DOWN OREGON STATE PEPPERDINE 7, OREGON STATE 1.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

MALIBU - Barry Enright is back.

After two miserable starts dropped the Pepperdine sophomore right-hander out of the No. 2 spot in the rotation for this weekend's series against Oregon State, Enright rediscovered the form that made him last season's West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year.

Enright held Oregon State - ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation - to five hits and no earned runs Sunday as the No. 14 Waves defeated the Beavers 7-1 in the deciding game of the three-game, nonconference series at Eddy D. Field Stadium.

Enright matched a career-high with six strikeouts and set one by going eight innings, giving him two wins in six days - both over nationally ranked opponents.

``My first two starts, I don't think I was as mentally prepared as I was the last two games,'' Enright said. ``I worked on keeping the ball down. The first two games, the ball was at the belt, and you can't live like that.''

Enright (2-1), who tied for the WCC lead in wins last season when he went 10-1, didn't last as long as five innings in either of his first two starts this season as his ERA ballooned to 11.42. In an effort to get him back on track, Enright got a rare mid-week start Tuesday against Long Beach State and pitched seven innings of five-hit work in a 3-2 victory.

On Sunday, he had four strikeouts through the first two innings. He allowed just one hit in his final five innings.

``I didn't think I had my best stuff today,'' Enright said. ``But I'm lucky I have a great defense behind me and they picked me up.''

Pepperdine hitters also provided a boost, scoring four runs as they batted around in the first inning.

Heather Gripp, [phone]

heather.gripp(at)dailynews.com