SAN DIEGO - Kellen Sheppard threw an eight-hit shutout of Concordia (OR) to lead the Point Loma baseball team to a 5-0 win in the series opener (Feb. 26).
 
The victory extends the Sea Lions' (9-3) winning streak to nine games, as they remain undefeated at home (7-0). The loss drops the Cavaliers to 2-6 this season.
 
Sheppard needed just 98 pitches to get through nine innings. The junior struck out eight and did not walk a batter in the game. He also induced two double plays and only allowed one runner to reach third base. This is the second shutout in three home starts this season for Sheppard. He and two relievers combined to shutout CSULA in PLNU's second home game of the season 1-0. He lowered his earned run average to 1.33 for the season. PLNU now has four shutouts this season in 12 games.
 
"Sheppard was sharp out there," said PLNU head coach Joe Schaefer. "He was on his game today. He located really well, got ahead in the count all the time and his pitch count reflected that. He was doing an excellent job of being efficient. He had his strike outs but he was using his infield defense well. That is exactly what you need from the guy that is going to take the ball in the first game of a series."
 
Sheppard's battery mate Mike Gordner provided the early offense by launching a two-run homer in the second inning. It was Gordner's first career home run, and it provided Sheppard with all the runs he would need. Gordner finished the day going 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored.
 
"That was a big swing by Gordner," said Schaefer. "It got us on the board first which is our goal. We want to be the first team to score and grab that momentum early. He did a good job grabbing that for us. Things are starting to click for him now which is exciting for us."
 
Harrison Ramey was 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored for Point Loma. AJ Derr also recorded a multi-hit game, and reached base in three of his five plate appearances.
 
After taking the early lead on Gordner's home run, the Sea Lions tacked on insurance runs in the third on a single by Ryan Garcia, in the seventh on a sac fly by Devin Carter and another in the eighth on a sacrifice bunt by Ramey.
 
"If we can score one run an inning we are happy," Schaefer explained. "It means we are getting early base runners and are making productive outs to move the runners over. It is good sign when we can score runs without getting hits and that is something that we have always preached. We want to score a bunch of runs but we have to be able to score runs without hits, especially when you face good arms and we did that today."

The series will conclude on Saturday, Feb. 27 with a doubleheader starting at 11:00 a.m. PL NU will send Trevor Abshire to the mound in game 1 and Kevin Lillicrop in game 2.