SAN DIEGO - Things were looking really good for the Point Loma baseball team after batting around and putting eight runs on the board in the second inning, but No. 18 Cal Poly Pomona kept chipping away at the lead and put nine unanswered runs on the board to defeat PLNU, 14-12, on Saturday, Feb. 11.
 
The win snaps a three-game winning streak for the Sea Lions and evens their record at 3-3 on the season. The win snapped a four-game skid for CPP as it improved to 3-4.
 
After spotting CPP three runs in the first inning, Point Loma got one run back in the first and then batted around in the second to take a 9-3 lead. In the second, PLNU took advantage of four walks to plate a season-high eight runs in an inning. Matt Jervis and Tyler Flores each drove in two runs in the frame, and Harrison Ramey had two hits.
 
However, that momentum did not stay with the Sea Lions long as the Broncos answered with a two-run homer by Cody Martin in the third, his second two-run homer of the game. That one swing of the bat seemed to bring confidence back to the Broncos and began their comeback.
 
Cal Poly Pomona would score in all but two innings to post a season-high 14 runs. Cody Martin was 4-for-6 with two home runs and five runs batted in. Martin and the top 3 hitters in CPP's lineup combined to go 11-for-21 with nine runs scored and eight RBIs.
 
"The shutdown inning keeps momentum in our dugout," explained Point Loma head coach Joe Schaefer. "We get momentum because we score, and immediately going out and putting a 'zero' on the board keeps all that momentum with us. The more we can do that the less likely the other dugout is to get any energy or momentum back, so the shutdown inning is extremely important, but we are just awful at this right now."
 
The defense did not do the Sea Lions any favors today as it committed five errors, leading to a pair of unearned runs, but with each miscue CPP gained a little more momentum and they continued to capitalize on PLNU's mistakes.
 
"We are awful at a lot of thing right now," said Schaefer. "We are getting away with some of it, and win a few ball games to hide some of those things, but we definitely have a lot to work on and get better at."
 
Mike Gordner was 4-for-5 with a walk, a double, three RBI and two runs scored for Point Loma. Ryan Garcia also reached base five times as he drew four walks and blasted his second home run of the season, to go along with a stolen base and three runs scored. Harrison Ramey had three hits and two RBI in his return to the lineup and Micah Pries also posted a multi-hit performance and a stolen base out of his leadoff spot.  
 
Peter Beattie (2-0_ earned the win with 1.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He and Wyatt Shackleford shut down all the Sea Lions' momentum with scoreless fourth, fifth and sixth innings to give the Broncos the chance at the comeback. Trevor Abshire (0-1) took the loss for PLNU after coming in out of the bullpen in the fifth. He went two innings allowing four hits and four runs (three earned). Starter Kevin Lillicrop lasted four innings allowing eight hits and seven runs (six earned).
 
This series will conclude on Monday, Feb. 13 at Cal Poly Pomona. The first pitch is set for 6 p.m.
 
"With an off day tomorrow and no chance to get on the field before Monday, it is going to be a tough next game," said Schaefer. "I thought one of the strengths of this team is that we have a lot of seniors that are battled-tested with a lot of experience and hopefully that is what starts to come through after a day like today. We need that leadership up and down this lineup and on this pitching staff, and hopefully they can get this team moving in the right direction.
 
"As awful as today was, it was just one day, and if we come out Monday and play well, and get the win, we will win the series which is our goal every week and we are right back in good shape," added Schaefer.