BOX GAME ONE |
BOX GAME TWO
COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Point Loma Nazarene and Vanguard split a Golden State Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday. The Sea Lions won the opener in 10 innings and the host Lions claimed a dramatic 3-2 victory in the nightcap.
PLNU now has an 11-12 conference record and sits alone in fourth place in the GSAC standings. Loma is 16-14 overall. VUSC is 14-17 overall, 10-11 in conference.
Both of Saturday's tilts were decided in the final inning of play. Edgar Molina drove in the go-ahead run for Point Loma in the tenth inning of game one and Tyson Leighton hit a walk-off two run homer for the Lions in game two.
Jack Diamond drove in the day's first run, knocking in Rashad Taylor with a second-inning single in the opener. Vanguard evened things up with a run in the fourth.
That's how the game would stand through nine innings, forcing an extra frame.
The Sea Lions made two quick outs in the 10th but a Lion error allowed Stott Stidham to not only reach base but to get to second. Molina made VUSC pay with a double to right center to score Stidham.
The fourth Point Loma pitcher of the game, Maurice Wilhelm, sent Vanguard down 1-2-3 in the home half of the 10th. Wilhelm picked up his sixth save in as many attempts and made a winner of reliever Chris Gonzales (2-2) and the Sea Lions had their fifth-straight triumph.
Jack Archie started and lasted five innings. He gave up one run and fanned six during his stay on the hill. Josh Dexheimer took over in the sixth and tossed two scoreless frames as did Gonzales.
Sea Lion shortstop Clinton Harwick drove in both of Point Loma's runs in the seven-inning nightcap. Those two RBIs had PLNU in front 2-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
Loma starter Kenny House had gone through the Lion lineup without allowing a run to that point but yielded a solo homer to Leighton which cut the PLNU lead in half.
Houser gave way to Wilhelm who got the last two outs of the sixth.
Brett Carlile took over in the seventh and induced two quick outs. VUSC pinch-hitter Bryson Rahier collected a two-out, two-strike hit to keep the inning alive, however, and also brought Leighton to the plate. The Vanguard center fielder got a pitch he liked and sent it over the wall, ending the game in the Lion's favor.
Tyler Kuehl was the hitting star for the Sea Lions. The senior second baseman rapped out five hits in eight at bats. He was the lone PLNU player to garner multiple hits in both contests.
PLNU will be in Santa Clarita for a doubleheader on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 11:45 am.
