[Box score]

SAN DIEGO - Bryan Burkhead and many of his teammates will forever remember his last at bat at Carroll B. Land Stadium as the senior outfielder launched a two-run homer over the right field wall in the bottom of the eighth inning to help lead the Point Loma baseball team to a 7-6 comeback win over California Baptist on Friday, May. 3.

The win brings PLNU back to within two games of CBU for second place in the Pacific West Conference standings. The Sea Lions are now 26-22 on the season and 22-12 in the PacWest. The loss drops the Lancers to 31-17 and to 24-10 in conference play.

Tyler Nordgren preceded Burkhead's big fly by drawing a walk to break a streak of eight straight Sea Lions to be retired. Then with Nordgren on first base, CBU went to its bullpen to create the lefty-lefty matchup between Burkhead and John Ferrell. Burkhead fell behind 1-2 in the count but then made Ferrell and the Lancers pay when Ferrell left the pitch over the plate and Burkhead turned on it for the go-ahead home run.

"They bring in the lefty to face him, and all year as a team we've struggled against lefties, but Burkhead made the adjustment we had been waiting on, got the breaking ball on a two-strike count and he was on it," said PLNU head coach Joe Schaefer. "That is what we were hoping for. That is why is our cleanup hitter."

Garret Levsen then came out of the pen and delivered a scoreless ninth inning to earn his PacWest-leading 10th save of the season. He now ranks third on the PLNU single-season list in the category.

Point Loma originally took a 5-1 lead after five innings. Nordgren, who would finish the game 3-for-4 with two runs scores and two RBI, would tie the game at 1-1 on solo homer to center field in the fourth. The Sea Lions would then score four more in the fifth as Kyle Desimone had a bases loaded, three-run double and Nordgren added a two-out RBI.

Cal Baptist would quickly answer back with four runs of their own in the top of the sixth. After Zach Esquerra scored on a nifty slide at the plate Matt Marnati hit a three-run homer to tie the game at 5-5. CBU would take the 6-5 lead in the top of the eighth on a solo homer by Matt Daugherty to set up the comeback by PLNU.

Daugherty led Cal Baptist with three hits and three runs scored. Joseph Keller added two doubles for the Sea Lions which left just three runners on in the game.

Brett Carlile (2-1) picked up the win in relief of Justin Lawrence. Lawrence went the first five innings allowing just one run and four hits, while striking out five, but did not factor in the decision.

"It was a gutsy performance out there by Justin today," Schaefer explained. "He has been battling some arm issues so to get five innings, one run out of him against a good offensive team was awesome. He wasn't 100% and to get five innings and just one run allowed was more than we could have hoped for. It was a great way for him to close out his home season." 

John Ferrell (1-2) took the loss for Cal Baptist after surrendering Burkhead's homer.

This was final home game for PLNU seniors Kyle Cameron, Mike Nigolian, Justin Lawrence, Tyler Garkow, Bryan Burkhead and Josh Dexheimer.

"To be able to win our last home game of the season is a big deal and it's especially big for the seniors," Schaefer explained. "We didn't win a lot of games last year so to win this final home game of the season for our seniors. We put some good swings on pitches and got some big hits late. It was just a great baseball game."

These teams will reconvene on Monday, May 6 in Riverside to complete their series with a doubleheader starting at Noon.