MALIBU, Calif. (Interstat) — Tommy Brandenburg delivered a dominant starting performance and the Washington Huskies broke open a tight game with a six-run ninth inning to defeat the Pepperdine Waves 11-2 in nonconference baseball Tuesday afternoon at Eddy D. Field Stadium.

Brandenburg, a right-hander, set the tone with five perfect innings, striking out five and facing the minimum 15 batters. His outing provided a crucial stabilizing force for a Huskies team that entered the game with a 9-14 record after being swept last weekend at Southern California.

Washington built an early lead with opportunistic offense. In the first inning, two runs scored on a wild pitch by Pepperdine starter Jack Howe. An RBI groundout by AJ Paul in the second made it 3-0. The Huskies added another in the fourth when pinch-hitter Connor Dougherty grounded into a double play, allowing Blake Wilson to score.

The game remained a 4-0 pitchers’ duel into the seventh, thanks in part to Pepperdine reliever Gabe Maya, who tossed two scoreless innings with one hit allowed. Washington’s Jackson Hotchkiss broke the stretch of quiet offense with a solo home run to deep left field off Arnold Wu in the top of the seventh.

Pepperdine (6-18) showed a brief spark in the bottom of the seventh against Huskies reliever Bryce Johnson. Consecutive RBI doubles by Julian Camberg and Nick Cardinale cut the deficit to 5-2. Johnson escaped further damage, however, and Peysen Sweeney pitched a scoreless ninth to seal the win.

The most important sequence of the game came in the top of the ninth, with Washington clinging to a 5-2 lead. The Huskies sent 11 men to the plate, capitalizing on Pepperdine errors and key hits to put the game out of reach. An error by Waves third baseman Connor Mic allowed one run to score. Later in the inning, Wilson delivered the decisive blow, a two-run double to center field. Pinch-hitter Cooper Pearson followed with an RBI double to cap the six-run outburst. Wilson finished 2 for 3 with three RBIs.

Washington’s offense accumulated 13 hits, while Pepperdine managed nine but could not sustain a rally. The Huskies turned three double plays defensively.

The victory improved Washington to 10-14 on the season, while Pepperdine fell to 6-19. The result exceeded the projection of Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 5-4 Washington win. The Huskies’ win probability based on ELO ratings was 72.3%.

Washington returns home to begin a three-game series against Northwestern on Friday. Pepperdine’s next game is at home against Cal State Northridge next Tuesday.