NAIA No. 2-ranked PLNU swept visiting ninth-ranked Fresno Pacific in a Golden State Athletic Conference doubleheader Wednesday at Carroll B. Land Stadium, 6-1 and 9-4. The pair of wins has the Sea Lions improving to 20-7-1 overall. Additionally, at 12-5 in the GSAC, PLNU leapfrogs over FPU (18-6, 10-6) in the conference standings and lands in third place behind only Vanguard and California Baptist.

The Sunbirds struck first in game one, Michael Rivera pushing across a run with a RBI hit in the top of the fourth. PLNU immediately responded with three in the home half of the frame. Left fielder Rashad Taylor began the outburst with a double. Third baseman Wes Kartch singled and first baseman Jeff Fox singled Taylor home. DH Kevin Newburg singled home Kartch for the second run and right fielder Evan Lippow laid down a run-scoring sac bunt.

The Sea Lions tacked on a run in the fifth when Kuehl plating center fielder Allen Boyer. Lippow drove home the final two runs of the game with an eighth-inning single.

Steven Winnick started for PLNU and went seven strong innings, giving up just one run on five hits while fanning four. The senior improved to 5-1 on the year after the 105-pitch effort. Kenny Houser took the ball to start the eighth and set down all six batters that he faced, gaining his second save in the process.

FPU starter Kely Schellenberg (6-1) was handed his first setback of the year. The sidewinder yielded four runs on 11 hits his 7.1 inning stint. Michael Jimenez struggled to get out of the eighth, allowing the two-run double to Lippow.

The Sea Lions pounded out 13 hits led by 3-for-4 statlines from both Boyer and Newburg. Kartch and Taylor each went 2-for-4.  Lippow drove in three runs with Fox plating a pair of PLNU runners.

PLNU jumped out to a 5-0 lead early in the nightcap. The Green and Gold scored two in bottom of the second started off by a walk to Fox. Newburg followed with a single. Lippow then laid down a sac bunt. On the bunt FPU first baseman Michael Rivera tried to get the force out at third but his throw pulled the runner off the bag, everyone safe on the error. The Sea Lions took advantage when catcher Alec Martinez laced a single to score Fox. Boyer later hit a sac fly to plate Newburg for the second run.

Back-to-back homeruns in the third by Kuehl and Taylor doubled PLNU's advantage. Second baseman Alex Cameron ripped a run-scoring two-base hit in the fourth for a 5-0 lead.

The Sunbirds finally got to Sea Lion starter Brandon Dixon in the top of the fifth when right fielder Dane McLaughlin doubled, reached third on a ground out and scored on another ground out. But a pair of insurance runs by Point Loma in the bottom of the sixth and eighth put the conference tilt out of reach. Fresno Pacific's Patrick Bariteau hit a three-run homer in the ninth for the final 9-4 score.

Sea Lion senior Brandon Dixon upped his season mark to 6-0 after throwing eight innings. The lefty surrendered just one run on three hits with five strikeouts. David Hawes (3-3) was hung with the loss for the Sunbirds.

Kuehl paced the PLNU offense by collecting four of his team's 14 hits. Martinez was 3-for-4.

The Sea Lions head up to Fresno on Saturday for a twinbill that begins at noon.