[Box score]

SAN DIEGO - Two of the top arms in the Pacific West Conference met up Thursday (May 2) at Carroll B. Land Stadium and it was Cal Baptist's Jon Bengard which won the pitcher's duel over Tyler Garkow and the Point Loma baseball team 3-1.

The loss snapped PLNU's eight-game PacWest winning streak. The Sea Lions are now 25-22 on the season and 21-12 in the PacWest standings. The win moves CBU to 31-16 and to 24-9 in the PacWest.

The Sea Lions struck first with an RBI-single by Lucas DiCiccio in the bottom of the second. They would hold the 1-0 lead into the sixth before CBU tied up the game on a sacrifice fly to left field. Zach Esquerra would break that tie in the top of the eighth as he launched a two-run homer over the left field wall to put the Lancers in front for good at 3-1. This was Esquerra's PacWest-leading 17th home run of the season.

After CBU took the lead Bengard (10-1) sealed the win with two perfect innings to pick up his 10th win of the season. He pitched all nine innings allowing just six hits and one run while striking out seven. He retired 14 of the final 15 batters he faced, and the only runner to reach was thrown out trying to steal.

Garkow (7-4) nearly matched Bengard pitch for pitch until running into the hiccup in the eighth. He went eight innings allowing six hits and three runs (two earned) while striking out three. Brett Carlile added a scoreless inning of relief out of the bullpen.

Tanner Handa had two hits to lead the Sea Lions. Marcoux reached base in three of his four plate appearances as he coaxed Bengard into his only three walks allowed on the day. Blair Moore had two hits to pace the Lancers.

These teams will come back together tomorrow (Friday, May 3) for another single, nine-inning PacWest contest starting at 3:00 p.m.