ROUNDUP: PEPPERDINE WINS IN THE 11TH.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer

MALIBU - Maybe it's just another afternoon game come May, but in mid-March the Pepperdine baseball team was flirting with must-win mode Sunday.

``I think it's good to put yourself in situations where you think it's must-win,'' coach Frank Sanchez said. ``It probably was.''

A sense of desperation was possible since Gonzaga stifled the Waves the previous two days in this West Coast Conference-opening series. The visiting Bulldogs pushed them into extra innings on the verge of a demoralizing sweep until Pepperdine scratched out an 11th-inning run to win 6-5.

Pepperdine (11-13, 1-2) hasn't been under .500 at home since its first season at Eddy D. Field Stadium in 1973. But the Waves staggered into Sunday with a five-game home losing streak and a 3-8 record in Malibu.

It's just another reason to feel frustrated for a team that has yet to run off more than two consecutive wins and has been bugged by inconsistency. Pepperdine can score 30 runs one week to beat nationally ranked Tulane, then come back six days later and lose 1-0 to Division I bottom-feeder Hawaii-Hilo.

``This is when we have to get it going,'' said senior Rock Mills, who had two hits and three RBI Sunday. The Waves play L.A. nonconference rivals UCLA and USC this week but resume defense of their WCC title the following weekend at St. Mary's.

``This is where it really matters. We want to get back to (the NCAA) regionals. We have to be good here.''

Pepperdine was just good enough to avoid a sweep by the Bulldogs (8-8, 2-1). The Waves offense bounced back from a shutout Saturday to collect 10 hits. But the key at-bat was actually a fielder's choice by freshman third baseman Steve Kleen.

Pepperdine's ability to move over runners was almost nonexistent Sunday. And Kleen had struck out three times and hit into a double play in his four previous at-bats. But his infield chopper to the left side with the bases loaded and one out in the 11th was effective when Gonzaga third baseman John Gebbers' throw was errant, scoring Duke Sardinha with the winning run.

``We know we're capable of winning,'' Kleen said. ``When we have a good game, we need to back it up the next day with another good game instead of being up and down. I think it's going to click.''

--Notes: Pepperdine third baseman Ed Montague's sixth home run of the season, a fifth-inning solo shot, was anything but ordinary. The ball was ruled to have stayed in play just under the scoreboard in right field. Montague eventually was thrown out at third, but Waves first-base coach Rick Hirtensteiner escorted umpire Jim Garman to the area in question and pointed out that the ball hit the netting protecting the scoreboard. Garman changed his mind and awarded Montague a homer.

- Chris Cocoles

--USC 7, Creighton 3: Sophomore reliever Jon Williams allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings as the Trojans won two of three games at the Express College Classic in Round Rock, Texas.

--Loyola Marymount 3, Mississippi State 2: Joe Frazee drew a bases- loaded walk with two out in the ninth inning as the Lions broke a six-game losing streak and beat a Top 25 team for the first time this season.