CARSON, Calif. - Both games of the doubleheader could not have played out more opposite, but in the end there was one common theme; the Sea Lions walked away the winner of both. In the opener, PLNU jumped out to an early lead and then held on for the 10-9 win against Cal State Dominguez Hills. In game 2, the Sea Lions trailed the entire game until they mounted a five-run rally in the ninth to win, 9-6.
 
Point Loma has won three straight games to improve to 6-3 on the season. All nine of their games have come against California Collegiate Athletic Association opponents. The losses drop CSUDH to 2-7.
 
Game 1
The Sea Lions jumped out to a 7-0 lead but had to hold off a late charge by the Toros to win 10-9.
 
Harrison Ramey powered the offense, especially early. He had two-run RBI singles in the second and third innings to help PLNU take the early lead. He would score later in the seventh inning on an RBI-single by Colby Kaneshiro to push the lead back to 10-5.
 
In the eighth, CSU Dominguez Hills rallied. They loaded the bases with no outs and pushed one across on a sacrifice fly, another on a double and two more on a two-run single to cut the Sea Lions' lead to one (10-9) with one runner on, and still just one out. Point Loma's head coach Joe Schaefer then went to the bullpen and got the reigning PacWest Pitcher of the Week Eric Pierce.
 
After plunking the first batter he faced, Pierce induced a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat and maintain the one-run lead. He went back out to the mound in the ninth and held the Toros scoreless to lock down his third save of the season.
 
"He is doing an incredible job of slamming the door at the end of games which is huge right now," said Schaefer. "Starting pitching hasn't been great up to this point, but knowing we have a guy at the backend of games that can go more than one inning and put 'zeroes' on the board is huge. He has been outstanding."
 
"He is consistent and you know what you ae going to get out of him each time he steps on the mound which is what you really need out of our bullpen guys."
 
Kellen Sheppard (2-0) earned the victory going six innings while allowing 14 hits and five runs. He did not walk a batter and struck out one. While Sheppard allowed a high number of base runners he was able to minimize the damage by getting CSUDH to ground into a double play in each of the first four innings. The Sea Lions would turn six double plays in the game. Sheppard left with a 10-5 lead and the bullpen was able to hang on to earn him the victory.
 
"Kellen Sheppard was getting hit around but he was getting the double play ball to keep them off the board. The infield play was very good all day. We got hit around a bit but we made the pitches when we needed to get the double plays and minimize the damage."
 
The Toros' Nick Suniga (0-2) took the loos after being charged with three hits, six walks and five earned runs in two innings of work. He struck out just one and had two wild pitches.
 
Ramey finished the game 4-for-5 with a double, four RBI and a run scored. He is the third Sea Lion this season to record a four-hit game. Tyler Flores extended his hitting streak to eight games with his 2-for-4 performance. He had a double, two RBI and three runs scored. Ryan Garcia doubled in both his at-bats while also walking twice. He drove in one and scored twice. Mike Gordner also registered a multi-hit game, however, the Sea Lions were outhit in the contest 18-16.
 
"It is a big yard and we sprayed the ball around really well," said Schaefer. "We did a good job extending leads, which is the only reason we were able to hold onto this game. Instead of just scoring early and resting on it, we did a good job on continuing to add on."
 
Brandon Polizzi, John Soteropulos and Adrian Guzman all recorded three-hit games for CSUDH. Soteropulos paced the team with three RBI.
 
Game 2
Point Loma rallied from two runs down with a five-run ninth inning to take game 2 from CSU Dominguez Hills, 9-6.
 
The Sea Lions looked like they were in trouble after three-run homer by Parker Hokuf gave the Toros a 6-4 lead in the sixth. After putting their leadoff runner on in both the seventh and the eighth inning, PLNU failed to get the runner past second base and it felt all momentum had shifted to the Toros' dugout, but then came the ninth.
 
Wyatt Champlin started the rally by taking a hit by pitch. The following two batters singled to score Champlin and then Ryan Garcia laid down a bunt to load the bases with no out, and the go-ahead run on second. After CSUDH cut down Matt Jervis at the plate on a grounder to first by Gordner, the birthday boy Kellen Sheppard stepped to the plate. He worked the count full and then turned on a pitch and drove it hard into right field to score two. The right field booted the ball, allowing Sheppard to get to third and Gordner to come all the way around from first to score, turning the 6-5 deficit into an 8-6 lead. Flores would bring in Sheppard with an RBI-single on the next pitch to extend the lead to 9-6.
 
"We know we can score run," Schaefer said. "If it close going into the later innings we can score runs. We have a lot of faith in the top of the lineup and I like our chances with them coming back around in the 8th or 9th on their fourth or fifth at-bat.
 
"I was happy for him and we needed that one," said Schaefer about Sheppard. "(CSUDH) was a double play ball from getting out of it after Gordner smashed one to first but Sheppard had a huge knock right there."
 
For the second time in the doubleheader, coach Schaefer called on Eric Pierce to close out the game, and he was even better the second time around. He set the Toros down in order, with one strikeout, to earn his fourth save. All four saves have come in the Sea Lions' last four wins.
 
"That 9th inning was a lot of fun," continued Schaefer. "The guys did a good job. We got some great bunts down, were able to move runners and got some hits out of it. Then Pierce slammed the door in the 9th."
 
Cole Millerd (1-0) earned his first career win for Point Loma out of the pen. He went two innings in relief of the starter Kevin Lillicrop, allowing two hits and no runs while striking out two. Joshua Gogue (0-1) took the loss for Cal State Dominguez Hills after taking over in the ninth and being charged with two runs (one earned) and three hits. He also struck out one and had a wild pitch in his one inning of work.
 
Kellen Sheppard finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Harrison Ramey was 2-for-5 and knocked in three runs. He is now second on the team with nine RBI. Tyler Flores posted his team-leading fifth multi-hit game of the season as he went 2-for-4 with an RBI, two runs scored and two stolen bases. He has hit safely in all nine games this season. Micah Pries was also 3-for-5 with a double and a stolen base out of his leadoff spot. Hokuf (2-for-4) was the only Toro to record a multi-hit game. PLNU outhit CSUDH 12-8 in game 2.
 
Next games
Due to the threat of rain in the Carson, Calif., area tomorrow, the teams have already canceled Friday's doubleheader. The teams have rescheduled one of the contests to Apr. 25.