HONOLULU - The Point Loma and Hawaii Pacific baseball teams split a doubleheader on Tuesday, with HPU winning the first 8-5 before PLNU bounced back to win the nightcap 11-6, to earn the series split (Mar. 8).
 
The Sea Lions are now 13-5 on the season and 2-2 in the PacWest. The spilt allowed the Sharks to climb to 5-3 in the PacWest and 13-5 overall.
 
Game 1
Hawaii Pacific scored eight runs in the bottom of the first, aided by a couple of PLNU miscues, to take control of the game early before holding on for an 8-5 win.
 
Despite their largest deficit of the season, Point Loma chipped away at the Sharks' lead and had the tying run in the on-deck circle in the ninth.
 
Cale Hathaway knocked in a career-high three RBI as he went 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored. Mike Gordner cranked his third homer of the season and finished 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Derek Rustich also had a pair of doubles and scored twice as the Sea Lions' 6-8 hitters combined to go 6-for-11 with four RBI and five runs scored. However, the top five in the Sea Lions' order combined to go just 2-for-20.
 
HPU's Brandon Van Stone (3-0) earned the victory by going eight innings, allowing nine hits and five runs, while walking four and striking out one. Brandon Bonilla, son of former MLB player Bobby Bonilla, earned his fifth save of the season to take over the PacWest lead from PLNU's Coleman Huntley III.
 
Eric Pierce (2-1), who was making the start on his birthday, took the loss after being charged with eight runs (five earned) in the first. He gritted it out and got PLNU through six innings without allowing another run. John Shurance pitched a two scoreless innings in relief, allowing one hit with one strikeout, to allow the Sea Lions not to overextend their bullpen on this Hawaii road trip.
 
Game 2
The first five batters combined to go 11-for-20 with nine RBI and nine runs scored to power Point Loma to an 11-6 victory in the series finale.
 
Matt Jervis was 4-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI. AJ Derr reached base four times, with two hits and two walks, while adding a stolen base and scoring three times. Ryan Garcia jacked his second grand slam of the season, and sixth home run, as part of a five-run fourth inning for the Sea Lions. They added four more runs in the fifth, aided by RBI-singles from Kolby Kaneshiro, Mike Gordner and Derek Rustich, to extend its lead to 11-3.
 
Point Loma's starter Kevin Lillicrop improved to 4-0 on the season. He went five innings allowing six hits and five runs, while walking three and striking out seven. Noah Huggins added a perfect sixth inning as he struck out the side.
 
HPU's Matthew Gunter (1-1) was saddled with the loss after allowing eight hits and seven runs in 3.1 innings.
 
Next games
Point Loma will have a short turnaround as they will start another four-game series against Hawaii Hilo on Friday, Mar. 11. The teams will play doubleheaders on both Friday and Saturday night starting at 6:00 p.m. (PST).