SAN DIEGO - The 2017 Point Loma baseball team's opening four-game series against Chico State can be described perfectly with one word; grit. The Sea Lions responded valiantly with their backs against the wall to fight back and sweep Saturday's doubleheader from Chico State. PLNU came back late in the first game and won 4-3 on Micah Pries' walkoff single. Stephen Young then delivered a complete game with eight strikeouts to lead Point Loma to the 4-1 win in the finale.
 
"This whole weekend was like a playoff atmosphere every single inning, and that is what we were hoping to get," said Point Loma head coach Joe Schaefer. "It was encouraging to see our guys respond the way they did today after two tough ones on Thursday and Friday."
 
Game 1
Pressure? What pressure? Freshman leadoff hitter and center fielder Micah Pries went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, two RBI, two runs scored and the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth in just his third collegiate game to help lift PLNU to the 4-3 comeback victory.
 
"The kid is unbelievable," said Schaefer. "He has incredible tools and even better makeup. He does all the little things really, really well. For a freshman on opening weekend to come out and hit leadoff against a quality opponent like Chico, and do what he did was so impressive. I am so happy for him."
 
Pries got the scoring started for PLNU with a solo home run in the third to tie the game at 1-1. After Chico took a 4-1 lead with single runs in the fourth and fifth, Pries helped the Sea Lions cut the lead in half with a leadoff double in the eighth. He came in to score on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Garcia after coach Schaefer had Matt Jervis sacrifice Pries to third.  
 
"I wanted to get it to a one-run game because I knew if we did we would have a good chance to tie the game up some way, somehow," explained Schaefer. "We have a lot of guys that can tie the game on one swing, and it is not something you want to count on, but we do have a lot of guys capable of doing that. For me it wasn't about trying to play for two runs in one shot, it was about getting it to a one run game because we would have a good chance at tying it up in the ninth."
 
It was Kellen Sheppard that delivered the game-tying shot the Sea Lions were seeking as he blasted a 2-0 pitch for a solo home run to right field to knot the game at 3-3. After an out, Travis Takata got the rally started by smashing a ball up the middle for his first collegiate hit. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and Derek Rustich drew a walk to bring up Pries who poked the ball out to left center field as Takata raced around third with the game-winning run.
 
Patrick McMullen (1-0) earned the win after pitching a scoreless top of the ninth. Dan Beavers (0-1) took the loss as he was charged with both runs in the ninth. PLNU's starter Trevor Abshire had a no-decision as he went five innings allowing seven hits and three runs (two earned) while walking two and striking out two.
 
Game 2
The series finale is so critical in collegiate baseball. The result of that game can leave any team feeling like they either left an opportunity on the table or closed out the series in the right way. Well, all Sea Lion fans are feeling pretty good right now after watching newcomer Stephen Young shut down the Wildcats in the last game to give PLNU a 4-1 win and the series split.
 
Young (1-0) went all seven innings allowing just four hits and one run while striking out eight and walking two. He got better as the game went along as just one of the final nine batters reached base against Young, and he was quickly eliminated on a ground ball double play.
 
"For Steven to go seven innings with only one run against that offense was outstanding," said Schaefer. "It was unbelievable and that will be one of the best outings we see all year. He was just awesome.
 
"Chico is well disciplined and very well coached," continued Schaefer. "They stick with their plan at the plate and they put the ball in play and make you work on the mound. They can score in so many ways, so they are a tough team to pitch to."
 
Despite how well Young threw, Chico State was still able to get the first run on the board as they did in every game in the series with back-to-back two-out hits in second. PLNU would quickly answer in the bottom of the inning when Colby Kaneshiro brought in Tyler Flores from third base with a ground out.
 
Young then delivered a shutdown inning to keep the momentum on the Sea Lions' bench, something coach Schaefer had been looking for all weekend.
 
"Most impressively was the shutdown innings in this last game," said Schaefer, "just making sure we put a 'zero' on the board, which was something we struggled with earlier in the week."
 
With Young putting up 'zeroes' the Sea Lions rallied with a run in the fourth on a single by Tyler Flores, who made the Wildcats pay for intentionally walking Sheppard in front of him, and then Ryan Garcia provided two more insurance runs with a two-run blast to right-center field in the fifth.
 
"I think we did a great job offensively progressing as the weekend went on," said coach Schaefer. "We made the adjustments we needed to make as the series went on."
 
Ryan Garcia, who had his streak of reaching base safely in 69 straight games snapped on Friday, was 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Flores (2-for-2) also posted a multi-hit game. Matt Jervis finished the opening weekend going 7-for-14 with three runs scored.
 
Anthony Baleto took the loss for Chico State. He allowed five hits and four runs (all earned) in 4.2 innings. He struck out three and walked one.
 
Next series
The Sea Lions will now prepare to face another CCAA opponent as it gets ready for a three-game series against region-power Cal Poly Pomona. The teams will play single, nine-inning games on Thursday and Friday in Pomona beginning at 6 p.m. each day. The team will then head to PLNU on Saturday, Feb. 11 for another nine-inning contest to close out their series.