PLNU was unable to slow down the high-powered Cal Baptist offense on Wednesday, falling to the Lancers 16-6 in the winner's bracket of the GSAC Tournament. The Sea Lions will play an elimination game at 3 p.m. today against either Fresno Pacific or The Master's, who play at noon.

The Sea Lions were hit early and often against the conference champion Lancers, who have won all five meetings with PLNU this season. Chad Blauer faced CBU for the first time this season and didn't last long, giving up 11 earned runs in less than two innings. Sharif Othman went 5-for-5 with three RBI and Brian Sharp scored four times on a 3-for-5 day to lead the Lancer attack.

Things got out of hand quickly as the Lancers plated seven in the first. Othman delivered a two-run double to get the scoring going before Zach Hedges and Cole Bullard added RBI singles to make it 4-0.

CBU's Matt Johnson put an exclamation point on the inning with a three-run homer to left, putting the Lancers up 7-0 and . The Lancers added four more in the second, two of them on a liner to center by Hedges that Allen Boyer just missed a diving catch on. That made the score 9-0 and after another run came across Blauer was replaced by Davis Koenig.

The PLNU lineup was kept at bay in the first two innings by CBU starter Erik Wallace. Alex Cameron doubled in the first, but the Sea Lions were unable to drive him in. The team put two on in the second inning, but couldn't get anything going. The Sea Lions finally pushed a run across in the third when Cameron doubled and was driven in on a single by Tyler Kuehl.

Wallace continued a strong outing as his team extended the lead to 13-1 in the third inning with two more runs off Koenig. PLNU finally showed some signs of life in the sixth, as Wallace began to lose control of the strike zone and the Sea Lions capitalized with timely hits.

After pinch-hitter Ronnie Chester beat out a ground ball to load the bases with two outs, Boyer came through with a hard-hit single to right that scored one. Wallace hit Cameron with the next pitch to plate another run, before Kuehl singled to give the Sea Lions two more.

After a walk to Jeff Fox, Rashad Taylor stepped in with the bases loaded and the score 13-5. The rally would end there though as Taylor hit a chopper to first that was bobbled but then picked up by the first baseman who beat Taylor to first by a step.

Frustrations boiled over in the next inning after a questionable strike call to Steve Winnick. Sea Lion manager Joe Schaefer walked over to discuss the call and was quickly ejected by the home plate umpire.

After being held scoreless by Koenig for three innings, the Lancers got things going again in the bottom of the 7th. Drew Madrigal and Bullard each delivered RBI singles. The inning only ended when a sharply hit ball by Kody Sepulveda struck the baserunner going from second to third. The Lancers would add one more in the 8th off reliever Josh Dexheimer.

Fox just a missed a home run in the 8th, hitting it off the top of the right field wall. It went for an RBI double, scoring Kuehl from first to make the score 15-6 Lancers.

Blauer took the loss for the Sea Lions, falling to 10-2. He'd given up 23 earned runs in more than 75 innings this season before being touched up for 11 in 1 1/3 innings today.

Wallace didn't have his best outing, giving up five runs, nine hits and walking five in six innings, but it was good enough to earn the win and improve him to 6-0 on the season. Mike Barro pitched three innings of one-run ball to earn the save. CBU improves to 44-12 and will play tomorrow at noon.

PLNU falls to 35-17-1 and will face the winner of The Master's and Fresno Pacific in an elimination game at 3 p.m.

-Jeremiah Wood