[Box score]

SAN DIEGO - Tyler Nordgren went 3-for-4 and drove in all three runs for PLNU to lead the Sea Lions to a 3-2 comeback win over UC San Diego on Tuesday (Apr. 2) at Carroll B. Land Stadium.

The win moves Point Loma to 15-17 on the season and drops UCSD to 17-15.

With PLNU trailing 2-0 with the bases loaded and two out in the fifth inning, Nordgren looped a liner into left field to tie the game at 2-2. The score would remain that way until the seventh when Nordgren doubled down the right field line to score Bryan Burkhead, who had led off the inning with a walk, from first to give PLNU its first lead of the game.

The Sea Lions' bullpen on Chad Etchison, Sebastian Santos and Garret Levsen, would be the other story of the afternoon, as delivered they combined to deliver four innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just one hit in the process. Etchison would earn his first win of the season to improve to 1-2. Levsen threw a perfect ninth for his fifth save of the season.

UCSD went up 2-0 in the third inning on a two-out, two-run homer by Richard Seigel. The Tritons would mount a rally in the seventh inning as the first three batters reached base. However, the Sea Lions were able to keep them off the board as PLNU catcher Michael Randel picked a runner off second, then cut a runner down at home plate and finally get out of the inning on a fantastic diving stop up the middle by second baseman Marcus Heisner.

PLNU catchers threw out four Triton base runners in the game. AJ Derr caught UCSD's Danny Susdorf trying to steal second twice and Justin Rahn for the other. This was just the second and third time Susdorf had been thrown out trying to steal in 22 attempts this season. 

"We know our catchers are really good catch and throw guys," said PLNU head coach Joe Schaefer, "but what was encouraging to me was our pitchers doing a better job holding runners, varying their looks and allowing the catchers to do what they did today."

Nordgren has now hit safely in his last 11 contest since taking over as the starting third baseman. He has gone 18-for-35 over that span, while scoring eight runs and driving in nine others.

"Tyler is really picking us up when we need it," said Schaefer. "We have had some rough offensive games of late but he has really been our bright spot."

This game acted as a bit of revenge for PLNU against UCSD. The Sea Lions lost earlier this season (Feb. 12) in 11 innings in La Jolla after they were unable to protect a two-run lead in the ninth.

"This game set up nearly identical to the time when we played them at their place," Schaefer explained. "The difference in this game is that we made big pitches when we needed to. We did not walk them nearly as many times this game, and even though we gave up a lot of base runners this game we made the pitches to get the outs."

The win brings PLNU to within five games of UCSD in the all-time series (43-38-1).

The Sea Lion baseball team will now travel to the Bay Area to take on Pacific West Conference foe Academy of Art in a four-game series starting Friday, Apr. 5.