SAN DIEGO - The Point Loma baseball team trailed just one time in the 18 innings of Saturday's doubleheader, but still had to settle for the split against Hawaii Hilo. PLNU was up five heading into the ninth in the opener, but UHH scored six runs in the top of the ninth to win 8-7. In the night cap, Kellen Sheppard went 4-for-4 to back starter Trevor Abshire, who went seven innings, allowing just two runs, to help lift the Sea Lions to a 6-3 victory.
 
The split puts Point Loma's season record at 21-13. The Sea Lions also remain in fifth place in the PacWest with a 13-9 record. Hawaii Hilo is eighth in the PacWest standings at 8-15 (8-17 overall).
 
Game 1
Ryan Garcia homered in each of his first two at-bats, while driving in five runs, and Wyatt Champlin added a pair of solo home runs, to help Point Loma take a 7-2 lead into the ninth inning, but it all fell apart and the Sea Lions lost the opener 8-7 as the Vulcans scored six runs in the inning.
 
Champlin blasted his second home run of the game in the eighth inning, and the Sea Lions were looking very good with a five-run lead but they committed the cardinal error of giving up free baserunners and the Vulcans used this to fuel their rally. Four of the first five batters in the inning reached as the Vulcans drew one walk, and a single, but were also hit by two pitches. This loaded the bases for UHH's best hitter, Phillip Steering. After seeing two pitches, Steering launched a home run over the left field wall to tie the game at 7-7.
 
Hawaii Hilo's rally did not end there, as they again loaded the bases, all with just one out. BJ Freitas then blooped one to left-center field, and it looked like it would drop in but Micah Pries made a diving catch. However, on the dive the eventual-winning run was able to score from third base on the sacrifice fly.
 
PLNU brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth but Eric Vega was able to shut the door for his first save of the season. The win went to Cole Nakachi (1-0) who pitched three innings out of the bullpen, allowing two hits and two runs while walking four. Cole Millerd (1-1) took the loss for PLNU after being charged with three hits and two runs.
 
"We have to get better," explained Point Loma head coach Joe Schaefer. "There is no way we can come into a game and not throw strikes. I don't know what happened today, it just all went wrong today, and we have to get it fixed."
 
Garcia finished the game 2-for-4 with a walk, two home runs and five RBI. The five RBI were a season-high, and the seventh time Garcia has posted a multi-RBI game. Wyatt Champlin hit solo home runs in both the sixth and eighth innings, after entering the game for Ryan Casper.
 
"Ryan is one of the best hitters in the region and he picked up right where he left off last week. He is very disciplined and doesn't miss pitches," said Schaefer.
 
"Wyatt was getting his pitch and not missing," continued Schaefer. He has made a few mechanical changes over the last week, but the most important thing was he was swinging at the right pitches. He worked the count to his favor and when he got the pitch he wanted, he did not miss it. That is really encouraging."
 
"Up and down the lineup we did a good job staying in the strike zone and hitting the ball we are supposed to hit," he added.
 
Game 2
Trevor Abshire had his best start since winning the NCBWA Pitcher of the Week honor back in early March. Today he went seven innings allowing seven hits and two walks while striking out five to improve to 4-2 on the season.
 
"That was as sharp as I've seen him over the past few week and it was very encouraging to see especially after the way game 1 ended," said Schaefer. "He was very good on a day we really needed it."
 
The Sea Lions supported Abshire with Champlin's third home run in as many at-bats in the second inning, to go up 1-0. Kellen Sheppard then did damage with a one-out double, which he came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Mike Gordner. Sheppard would deliver the go-ahead swing in the fifth as he doubled to left-center field wall to plate Garcia and Pries. Sheppard would finish 4-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. He is tied with Garcia for the most multi-RBI games (12) and leads the team in multi-hit games (16). He is just the fourth Sea Lion this year to have four hits in a game.
 
"Sheppard has been one of our best offensive players all year and today was another excellent game. He might not be hitting home runs like some of the other guys but he is giving us consistent and competitive at-bats, and that is what we need, especially from our cleanup hitter."
 
Point Loma used small-ball to tack on runs in the sixth and the seventh and take a 6-2 lead into the ninth. However, just like game 1 things got really scary for the Sea Lions in the ninth. The first three batters of the inning reached on an error, a hit by pitch and a walk to load the bases. Coach Schaefer then went to senior Noah Huggins out the pen. He hit the very first batter he faced to force in a run, and the bases remained loaded with no outs. Huggins and the Sea Lions then got the break they had been looking for all game. Huggins' pitch spiked in the dirt and got away from the catcher. Reese Kato started down the line but the ball bounced right back to the catcher, Gordner, who caught Kato trying to get back to third for the first out of the inning. Huggins then struck out the next batter and got a line out to Adam Rios at shortstop for his first save of the season.
 
"Noah has bounced back from some early season struggles and his last few outings have been really good," Schaefer explained. "He has saved us by going long outings and in getting out of jams in some short stints. Today he was the fireman and was a big part of why we were able to hang on."
 
Next games
These teams will continue their four-game series on Monday, Mar. 17 with another doubleheader starting at Noon.