MALIBU, Calif. (Interstat) — Diego Gutierrez delivered a dominant starting performance and the San Diego Toreros capitalized on early Pepperdine mistakes to secure a 5-1 victory over the Waves in a nonconference baseball game Friday evening.

Gutierrez, the clear star for the Toreros, set a commanding tone over five innings of work. The right-hander allowed just one earned run on no hits, striking out eight Waves batters. The lone blemish was a solo home run by Pepperdine’s Daniel Patterson in the bottom of the first inning. Gutierrez’s effort built on his previous start, a five-inning, scoreless outing against Gonzaga on March 20.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the top of the fifth inning, breaking open what had been a tight contest. San Diego led 1-0 after Andrew Gauna’s first-inning RBI double scored Jayden Lobliner, who had singled and stolen second. Pepperdine starter Casey Euper had largely contained the Toreros after the first, but his outing unraveled in the fifth.

With one out, San Diego’s Springer was hit by a pitch. Kevin Moran then reached on a throwing error by Pepperdine first baseman James, which allowed Springer to score all the way from first. After a pitching change that saw Austin Plisinski replace Euper, Gauna hammered a two-run homer to extend the lead to 4-1. The three-run inning, fueled by the critical error, provided San Diego with a cushion its pitching staff would not relinquish.

The Toreros added an insurance run in the seventh when Lobliner launched a solo home run to deep left field off Plisinski.

Following Gutierrez’s departure, the San Diego bullpen was flawless. Hayden Cody worked two perfect innings, striking out two, and Porter Rovin closed the game with two more hitless frames, securing the win. Pepperdine’s offense was stifled after Patterson’s first-inning homer, managing only four hits total and going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

Gauna finished 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, and two RBIs for San Diego, which improved its record to 9-15. Lobliner went 2-for-5 with his solo shot.

Pepperdine’s Euper took the loss, charged with two earned runs over 4 1/3 innings. Patterson’s home run accounted for the only run for the Waves, who fell to 6-19 on the season.

San Diego next opens a three-game series against Santa Clara at home on April 2. Pepperdine will host Cal State Northridge on Tuesday before traveling to face Gonzaga for a three-game set starting April 2.