SAN DIEGO - The Point Loma baseball team tried to battle back from a 4-0 deficit but it could not get that final clutch hit to take the lead, as it fell in game 2 of the series to California Baptist, 4-3, on Friday, Mar. 31.
 
The win moves the Lancers to 22-10 on the season and to 13-5 in the PacWest. The loss was the seventh straight for Point Loma (16-10, 8-6 PacWest) following a 13-game winning streak.
 
CBU used a pair of solo home runs in the first inning and a two-run rally in the third to take a 4-0 lead on PLNU, and then hold on for the victory. The Sea Lions chipped away at the lead to make it 4-2 with a two-out RBI single by Adam Rios in the fourth and a solo home run by Micah Pries in the fifth.
 
PLNU would have chances to tie the game or take the lead in each of the next four innings. In the six, the Sea Lions loaded the bases with one out but CBU was able to get a ground ball double play to end the threat. In the seventh, Colby Kaneshiro cut the Lancers' lead to 4-3 with an RBI-single and set two runners on base for Wyatt Champlin.
 
After taking the first pitch for a ball, Champlin launched the next pitch he saw deep to right field. The ball looked to be going out, but Brian Ruhm climbed the wall and brought it back to deny Champlin the home run and the Sea Lions the lead.
 
"Their guy went out and made an unbelievable play," said Point Loma head coach Joe Schaefer. "It is probably the best play we'll see all season long. It probably saved the game for them."
 
PLNU would keep fighting and would put the tying run on base in the eighth and the ninth but CBU was able to get through both innings without allowing a run.
 
"We weren't very good early but we started to claw our way back in and got better as the game went along," said Schaefer. "I know these guys believe we have a chance to win up until the last pitch every time we step on the field. We just aren't playing good baseball right now and have to find a way to come out tomorrow and play good baseball."
 
Pries, Kellen Sheppard and Mike Gordner all recorded multi-hit games for the Sea Lions. Andrew Bash paced the Lancers by going 3-for-4 with a stolen base. PLNU outhit CBU in the game 11-10, but also left 13 runners on base compared to just seven for the Lancers.
 
"Our offense is built around getting runners on base," explained Schaefer. "The hard part today is we got a lot of base runners late in the innings. A lot of them came with one or two outs, and we just could not get the big hit to blow it open. That is was the story of the game for us. We have to find a way to get runners in scoring position and get that big hit to blow the game open. The complexion of the game would change significantly if we could just get that one big hit."
 
Kevin Lillicrop (2-2) took the loss for Point Loma after being charges with eight hits and four runs over seven innings of work. He walked one and struck out four. Matt Amrhein (1-0) earned the win in relief for Cal Baptist.
 
The Sea Lions will be back on the field tomorrow looking to take both games of the doubleheader from CBU to earn the series split. Trevor Abshire will go for PLNU in game 1 starting at Noon. Stephen Young will take the mound in the nightcap starting at approximately 3 p.m.