Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

SAN DIEGO - Tyler Nordgren hit a walkoff home run in the nightcap to lift Point Loma to a doubleheader sweep of Azusa Pacific on Friday, Mar. 28. The Sea Lions won the opener 5-4 behind a five-run second inning and game two, 3-2, as Nordgren drove in all three runs.
 
The wins move PLNU (16-13, 8-6 PacWest) to within two games of Azusa Pacific (17-9, 10-4 PacWest) in the Pacific West Conference standings.
 
It was the senior bats and the freshmen pitchers that came up with the biggest performances in this longtime rivalry which spans over 182 games. Clinton Harwick went 6-for-8 with three runs scored in the doubleheader while Nordgren was 4-of-8 with two doubles, a home run and four RBI. The freshmen starters for the Sea Lions, Kellen Sheppard and Kevin Lillicrop, threw 15 innings allowing just five runs to give PLNU the opportunity to open the series with a doubleheader sweep.
 
Game 1
Point Loma scored five runs in the second inning and Kellen Sheppard delivered another quality start to lift the Sea Lions to a 5-4 win in the series opener over Azusa Pacific.
 
Ryan Garcia came through with the big hit in the five-run second as he singled through the right side with the bases loaded and two out. That hit scored two runs, but APU's outfielder let the ball get by him to allow Tyler Nordgren, who also had a two-out RBI in the inning, to race home from first and for Garcia to go all the way to third. Garcia would score latter in the inning on a wild pitch to put PLNU up 5-0.
 
Kellen Sheppard (4-2) was in control from the beginning of the game. He went seven innings allowing eight hits and three runs while walking one and striking out six. The only time he ran into trouble was in the fifth when APU scored three runs but he was able to work out of further damage and delivered two more scoreless innings.
 
Brett Carlile came into the game in the eighth pitched the last two innings for the six-out save.
 
Harwick finished the game 3-for-4 with a run scored. He was the only Sea Lion to record a multi-hit game.
 
Game 2
Not much was going for the Sea Lions offensively when Tyler Nordgren stepped into the box with one out and one on in the ninth. PLNU had put plenty of base runners on throughout the game but it could not come up with that elusive run-scoring hit it needed until Nordgren connected on a two-run homer over the left field wall to lift Point Loma to a 3-2 walk-off victory over Azusa Pacific.
 
Clinton Harwick battled for the walk to lead off the inning and then advanced to second on a sacrifice by Tyler Hanzawa to bring PLNU's leading RBI man, Nordgren, to the plate.  Even with first base open APU elected to pitch to Nordgren with their closer Luis Martinez and Nordgren made them pay.
 
After taking the first pitch for a ball, Nordgren launched Martinez's next offering over the left field wall to give the Sea Lions the win as his teammates stormed out of the dugout to meet him in a celebration at home plate.
 
"I thought we had opportunities throughout the game but never had that at-bat we needed to push a run across until that final swing by Nordgren," said Schaefer. "He is a consistent player and that is what you need out of the middle of your lineup; consistency and quality at-bats. He put together quite a few solid at-bats today and it culminated in that game-winning home run."
 
Kevin Lillicrop pitched eight innings, allowing six hits and just two runs in the sixth inning, to allow Point Loma the opportunity for the comeback. Noah Huggins earned the victory in relief as he pitched a scoreless top of the ninth.
 
Martinez took the loss for APU. He allowed a walk, a homer and two runs in .1 innings pitched. APU's starter, Zach Hedges, entered the contest with a 0.84 ERA. He went the first seven innings allowing one run, six hits and six walks while striking out three. Jordan Brower went 2-for-4 to record multiple hits in both games of the doubleheader for Azusa Pacific.
 
"It is huge to get two wins against APU, but especially against that pitching staff they have," said Schaefer. 
 
Next games
The teams will wrap up their four-game series with another doubleheader on Saturday starting at Noon.