RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Chris Gonzales tossed 7.2 innings of stellar relief and the offense scored nine unanswered runs as Point Loma Nazarene defeated top-seed California Baptist 10-3 in an elimination game at the GSAC Tournament Wednesday afternoon.

Fifth-seed PLNU (28-21) will play Thursday at noon against two-seed Biola. Because they lost 5-3 to Biola on Tuesday the Sea Lions still have their backs against the wall. A loss will mean the end of the 2011 season as Point Loma must win the tournament title in order to advance to the NAIA Opening Round of nationals.

"The first thing I said yesterday was that it was time to see what this team is made of," said PLNU Coach Joe Schaefer. "It's do or die time from here on out. They still managed to come out and play as if there wasn't any pressure on them."

The Sea Lions were the first to score Wednesday. Leadoff hitter Allen Boyer doubled to start the game and later scored on a wild pitch.

NAIA No. 3-ranked California Baptist quickly answered by pushing two runs across in the home half of the inning; one run came via a balk and other on a sac fly to center.

Luke Esquerra earned a free pass and stole second in the Lancer's next at-bat. Though Point Loma starter Jack Archie fanned the next batter, the sophomore righty was working on short rest and Schaefer was taking no chances, pulling Archie in favor of Gonzales.

Gonzales got out of the jam unscathed, yet allowed a run in the third. That would be the final time that a CBU runner would cross the plate.

PLNU first baseman Edgar Molina rapped out a two-out double in the fourth and left fielder Rashad Taylor lined a RBI single to cut the deficit to just one run. Taylor, who advanced to second on a CBU miscue, evened the game at 3-3 when he stole third and trotted home after the Lancer catcher threw the ball into left field.

The Sea Lions took the lead for good in the fifth. Boyer walked with one out and went to second on a balk. Second baseman Tyler Kuehl ripped a double down the left field line that plated Boyer.

PLNU held onto the slim lead until breaking out with three in the seventh. Catcher Alec Martinez singled to begin the outburst, followed by a hit from right fielder Jack Diamond. Diamond and courtesy runner Kyle Gerdts both moved into scoring position on a passed ball.

Boyer, like Diamond before him, was unable to lay down the sacrifice bunt. And Boyer, like Diamond before him, made up for it by hitting safely. Boyer's shot went into the left center gap and rolled to the wall plating both PLNU runners. Kuehl followed with a single to score Boyer and it was 7-3 PLNU.

Diamond would score the eighth Sea Lion run in the next frame and Molina clubbed a two-run homer in the ninth inning for the final 10-3 result.

Gonzales (4-3) did the rest, shutting down the powerful Lancer lineup over the final six innings. The junior right-hander threw 118 pitches in relief, allowing nine hits and striking out six.

"The outing by Gonzo gave the hitters a lot of confidence," said Schaefer. "It was one of the few times this year that we would score some runs and our pitcher would throw a zero on the board in the next inning. We hoped Gonzales would throw three innings but there was never a point that he was losing it. He was sharp inning after inning so we kept rolling him out there."

The Sea Lion offense did their part as well, knocking around three Lancer hurlers for 10 runs on 16 hits. Boyer led the offense with a 3-for-3, three runs scored, two RBI effort. Kuehl, Molina, Taylor, Martinez and Shain Stoner had two hits apiece.

"This game was night and day from yesterday," Schaefer said. "Yesterday we couldn't come up with the big hit. Today we got runners on, moved them over and got big hits. That was the difference -- that and Gonzales."

The Lancers, meanwhile, were unable to convert on their 11 hits, stranding nine. Both squads turned two rally-killing double plays. CBU fell to 41-13 on the year but as GSAC regular season champions have already earned an automatic berth to the NAIA Opening Round of nationals.

Thursday's opponent, NAIA No. 13-ranked Biola (34-19), beat PLNU four times this season, including in a first-round playoff tilt on Tuesday. The Eagles lost to #4 seed Concordia 11-8 on Wednesday, however, dropping BU into the loser's bracket.