[Box score]

SAN DIEGO - Clinton Harwick had three hits and five Sea Lions' pitchers combined to hold Bethesda to just one run as the Point Loma baseball team earned a 4-1 victory on Wednesday, Mar. 20.

The win was the fourth straight for PLNU which evened its season record at 12-12.

PLNU head baseball coach Joe Schaefer moved Harwick to the leadoff spot in the order for the first game this season, and the junior responded by going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Bryan Burkhead blasted a solo home run in the second, his third this season, and both Mike Marcoux and Zach Allen added RBIs.

"(Harwick) is just such a good base runner that we are just trying to find ways to help get him on base," explained Schaefer. "We put him in the leadoff spot just trying to create a spark and it seemed to work today where he was active on the base paths."

Sam Sadler (1-0) led a staff effort for the Sea Lions during this midweek game. This was the first start of the season for the sophomore, but he remained poised and in control while facing the minimum batters through the first four innings. He gave up just one hit (which was immediately erased on a caught stealing) and no runs while striking out four to earn his first win in a Sea Lion uniform.

Brett Carlile would take over for Sadler and throw two perfect innings while striking out four. Chad Etchison and Jake James would pitch the seventh and eighth innings before handing the ball over the Sea Lions' closer, Garret Levsen. Levsen would make short work of the Flames in the ninth as he needed just eight pitches to retire them in order and pick up his fourth save of the season.

"With four guys that we pitched last weekend unavailable, today was an opportunity for us for to get our bullpen guys some work," said coach Schaefer. "It was really nice to see Sadler get four innings, and then see the other guys come in and command the strike zone was good progress for us.

"Levsen seems to get better with every outing," continued Schaefer. "He is pounding the zone with his fastball and his breaking ball is looking good, while he is handling the base runners well."

The Sea Lions will be back at home on Friday, Mar. 22 to take on Cal State San Marcos (19-2) in a single, nine-inning game starting at 3:00 p.m.