HILO, Hawaii - Friday's doubleheader was a bullpen game for Sea Lions, and all seven pitchers stepped up to earn the Point Loma baseball team the sweep over Hawaii Hilo. PLNU earned a 5-0 shutout behind
Nathan Bennett in the opener and a 9-5 win in the late game (Mar. 11).
The Sea Lions improved to 16-6 on the season (4-2 PacWest) and Hawaii Hilo dropped to 3-9 (2-8 PacWest).
Game 1Nathan Bennett impressed in his first career start to help lead the Sea Lions to the 5-0 victory. Bennett, who typically serves in a set-up role for PLNU, went six shutout innings allowing just three hits and one walk while recording one strike out.
Bennett was not the only guy putting up zeroes on the scoreboard, as Hawaii Hilo's starter Eric Vega matched him each inning, until the sixth. That is when PLNU scored the first run of the game when
Mike Gordner grounded into a double play to score
Devin Carter from third after back-to-back walks and a wild pitch.
That was the only run Bennett and the bullpen would need.
Noah Huggins shut the Vulcans down in the seventh and eighth innings while recording three strike outs.
Coleman Huntley III finished the game by striking out the side.
AJ Derr had three hits for the Sea Lions and added an insurance run for the team with a two-out RBI-single in the seventh to score pinch runner
Preston Sands.
Ryan Garcia raised his PacWest-leading RBI total to 31 for the season with a two-run single in the ninth, right after
Matt Jervis collected his second hit of the game with a two-out RBI-double.
Kellen Sheppard reached base in four of his five plate appearances, with two hits and two walks.
Devin Carter was 1-for-3 with two walks, a stolen base and a run scored.
This was the Sea Lions' fifth shutout of the season (fourth combined). PLNU is now tied for the most shutouts in NCAA Division II this season. Also in the game, no runner reached third for the Vulcans against Bennett, and he recorded 12 of his 18 outs via the fly ball. The junior transfer from the College of Southern Nevada is now 1-0 on the season with two saves, and he has yet to allow a run in 17.2 innings.
Game 2Every starter in the lineup had a hit for Point Loma and once again the bullpen held the Vulcans to allow to come back for the 9-5 win.
The game was tied 3-3 in the seventh before Point Loma rallied for three runs.
Derek Rustich had an RBI-single in the innings and later scored on a wild pitch.
Harrison Ramey added a run on an RBI-groundout. PLNU tacked on three in the ninth in large part to another late-game, two-out, RBI-double by
Matt Jervis. This time he picked up his teammate and a pair of RBIs with a gapper to left-center field to score
Joseph Keller from third and
Tanner Handa from second.
Jervis finished the contest 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored.
Derek Rustich matched a career-high with three hits. He added an RBI and a run scored.
Colby Kaneshiro was 2-for-4 with an RBI as the DH, and
Devin Carter went 2-for-6 with a double and two runs scored.
Patrick McMullen got the nod on the mound for his first career start. He went five innings allowing five hits and three runs while striking out seven, but earned a no-decision.
Ryan Casper (2-0) picked up the victory out the pen after pitching a scoreless sixth inning.
John Shurance then went two innings, allowing only a walk, while striking out one.
John Thomas ran into a little trouble in the ninth, but managed to limit the damage to complete the victory.
Shortstop Edison Sakata was 3-for-3 with two runs scored to lead the Vulcans. Nate Green also had a pair of hits. Thomas Warren (0-1) took the loss after being charged with two hits, three walks and three runs in 1.2 innings.
Next gamesPLNU and Hawaii Hilo will be back on the diamond against tomorrow (Mar. 12) with another doubleheader to close out their four-game set. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.
