SAN MARCOS, Calif. - Point Loma scored a season-high 17 runs in the opener, but then couldn't get their bats going in game 2 as it fell 1-0 to split Friday's doubleheader with Cal State San Marcos.
 
The victory in the first game extended the Sea Lions (10-3) winning streak to seven, but the streak was snapped with the loss in game 2. The split brought the Cougars' record to 12-6 on the season.
 
Game 1
The top four hitters in the Sea Lions' lineup combined to go 12-for-19 with 13 runs scored and seven RBI to fuel Point Loma's offensive outburst in its 17-9 win. The Sea Lions also had a season-best 18 hits.  
 
No. 3 hitter Ryan Garcia was 4-for-4 with two walks, two doubles, four runs scored and two RBI. Cleanup hitter Devin Carter was 4-for-6 with three runs scored and a career-high five RBI. Preston Sands, who moved into the No. 2 hole in the lineup for the first time this season, was 2-for-4 with a walk, four runs scored and two stolen bases. Leadoff hitter AJ Derr added a pair of hits and a pair of runs.
 
"This was probably the first time all season that we just hit," said Point Loma head coach Joe Schaefer. "Everything they threw at us we hit. It is a big yard and the wind was blowing hard, but we squared some ball up and found some gaps. This is one of the first times all season that we sat back and hit all day. It was good to see."
 
PLNU trailed Cal State San Marcos 4-2 after the Cougars scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Point Loma quickly answered by scoring five runs in the top of the fifth after the first six batters reached on a hit. The Seawolves also had three errors in the inning to fuel the rally which gave Point Loma the 7-4 lead.
 
After CSUSM scored one in the bottom of the fifth, Point Loma's offense would again rally to put up a 5-spot. Three of the first four batters walked and then Carter drove in two runs with a bases loaded single, and the Sea Lions added another on a sacrifice fly by Matt Jervis and two more on a pair of Cougar errors.
 
"We did a good job answering back throughout that entire game," said Schaefer. "Part of the problem was that they did the same. We had times where we scored and had chances to put up zeroes in their half of the inning and didn't do it. The game was close for the majority of the game because both teams were having trouble putting a zero on the board."
 
The Sea Lions' would help take that pressure off their pitchers this game as they put up two more runs in the eighth and three in the ninth.
 
Eric Pierce improved to 3-0 this season for the Sea Lions by going the first five innings. Lane O'Dea, Patrick McMullen, Garrett Gooding and John Shurance then all came in and threw an inning apiece out of the bullpen.
 
Game 2
Kevin Lillicrop gave up just five hits and one run in 5.2 innings of work but the Sea Lions could not put up any runs as they were shutout by CSU San Marcos, 1-0. This was the second time in Lillicrop's four starts that the Sea Lions have been shutout.
 
The only run of the game came in during a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth. The Cougars had three straight hits with two outs, including Denny Vigo's shot through the left side that drove in the game-winning run.
 
Emilio Esquibel (4-0) earned the win with five scoreless innings of relief in this seven-inning game. He struck out two and gave up five hits after coming in to start the second inning. Justin Hertzmann earned his fifth save of the season with a scoreless seventh.
 
"There were a lot of positives in game 1 but there was a lot of little things we didn't do well that if it would have been a one-run game we would have lost," said Schaefer. "In game 2 those things came back to bite us.
 
"We had some chances to do some little things, and we didn't do them," Schaefer continued. "That is why we got shutout. We could have done those little things early that would have led to scoring runs but we didn't do those things.
 
"Kevin Lillicrop was awesome," added Schaefer. "Every outing he has been a little bit better, and game 2 was a good as he has been all year. The frustrating part is he pitched very well and we didn't give him any run support."
 
Tyler Baker had two of the Sea Lions' seven hits. Ryan Garcia posted his team-leading seventh double of the season.
 
Next games
The series will now move to Point Loma for another doubleheader starting on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 11:00 a.m.
 
"We set out every week to win three of four, and put ourselves in a position to sweep," Schaefer said. "You split on the road and we get two at home tomorrow, so we are still in a great position to win this series which is the goal. Our bullpen is still in really good shape and we have two really good starting arms going tomorrow, so we are ready."