ST. GEORGE, Utah - The No. 6 Point Loma baseball team kept its playoff hopes alive by earning a split of Saturday's doubleheader and the four-game series at No. 5 Dixie State. PLNU dropped the opener on Saturday 5-2 after the Red Storm broke a 2-2 tie with three runs in the eighth. In the regular series finale, Point Loma got great pitching from starter Trevor Abshire and a grand slam by Alex Campos to win 8-1.
 
Point Loma finishes the season at 33-16 and in a three-way tie for third place in the PacWest standings with Azusa Pacific and Fresno Pacific. Dixie State (31-17) still holds the top spot in the PacWest standings at 24-8. The Red Storm have a three-game advantage on California Baptist in the win column with CBU still needing to travel to Holy Names of its final series of the year. Six teams will qualify for the NCAA West Regional which will be announced on the Selection Show through NCAA.com on May 10 at 7:00 p.m. (PST).
 
Game 1
Kellen Sheppard cruised into the eighth inning on the mound, and even helped himself at the plate, before Dixie State rallied for three runs, capped off by a two-run homer, to win the opener 5-2.
 
Sheppard had allowed just five hits and two runs entering the eighth inning before Dixie State rallied to take the lead. First Drew McLaughlin gave DSC the lead with a single through the left side to drive in Zach Watts, who had led off the inning with a single. Kevin Kline then put the explanation mark on the rally with a two-run homer to center to add a pair of insurance runs and extend the lead to 5-2.
 
This marred an otherwise exceptional day for Sheppard in which he tied up the game at 2-2 in the sixth on a solo home run to deep right-center field. It was his second home run in as many days after never hitting one entering the weekend. His homer was one of just four hits the Sea Lions had in the game with Tyler Baker collecting two of them.
 
Sheppard (4-2) finished the game allowing eight hits and five runs in 7.2 innings while walking three and striking out five.
 
Kevin Brost (3-0) earned the save out of the bullpen for Dixie State after pitching a perfect eighth inning with one strikeout. Evan Parker added a flawless ninth for his 12th save of the season. Porter Clayton went the first six inning allowing three hits and two runs (one earned) but took the no-decision after Sheppard's home run.
 
Game 2
Needing a win just to keep themselves in contention for the NCAA West Regional, the Sea Lions got contributions up and down their lineup and Trevor Abshire stepped up with the biggest performance of his career to defeat Dixie 8-1. PLNU will now await its fate on the NCAA Selection Show next Sunday (May 10).
 
It was even more impressive that Dixie State struck first with a two-out run in the first inning but Abshire settled down and held the Red Storm scoreless to give the Sea Lions' bats time to come back. He finished the game allowing four hits and just one run while walking three and striking out five in 5.1 innings to improve to 7-2 on the season. Those seven wins tie him with teammate Eric Pierce for third in the PacWest. 
 
PLNU struck for three in the fourth as they capitalized on a throwing error by Dixie State during a sacrifice bunt to take the 3-1 lead. Point Loma would not stop there adding another run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Sheppard to drive in Devin Carter who was on third following Ryan Garcia's 21st double of the season.
 
In the sixth, Alex Campos put the game away with a pinch hit, grand slam to put PLNU up 8-1. Coach Joe Schaefer called on Campos after PLNU started the inning with a single sandwiched around two walks. Campos took one pitch more a ball then launched the next pitch he saw over the high wall in left center field for the four insurance runs. It was Campos's second home run and eighth RBI of the season in 24 at-bats.
 
Patrick McMullen finished out the contest with 1.2 innings of relief without allowing a hit or walk. The only time Abshire faced trouble later in the game was when he walked two with one out before Schaefer turned to McMullen who induced a 6-4-3 double play on the second pitch he through to escape get PLNU out of trouble.
 
Four Sea Lions had multi-hit games. Devin Carter, Joseph Keller, Anthony Torres and Kellen Sheppard each had two of PLNU's 11 hits. Keller and Tanner Handa also scored a pair of runs. 

NCAA Selection Show
The Sea Lions will now wait a week until their fate is decided for the NCAA West Regional. The NCAA Selection Show is Sunday, May 10 at 7:00 p.m. (PST), and at that point PLNU will know whether or not they have been selected to the regional and what seed they will receive, as well as their first round opponent. The NCAA Selection Show will be available to watch at http://www.ncaa.com/news/ncaa/article/2015-03-14/2015-spring-championships-selections.