SAN DIEGO - For the first time in since 2009, the Point Loma baseball team swept a three-game series to open the season. No. 24 ranked PLNU won Saturday's opener over North Alabama 8-2 and the followed it with a 5-1 win in the finale to complete the series sweep.
 
Game 1: Nico Anderson went 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored to help pace the Sea Lions' offense to eight runs in the game. The home run was the first of the freshman's career and was part of a three-run, third inning which extended the Sea Lions' lead to 5-0. Adam Rios' two-run shot in the eighth extinguished any hope UNA had of a comeback, and PLNU rolled to the 8-2 win.
 
Trevor Abshire battled to get the victory. He went five innings allowing five hits and four walks, but just one earned run, while striking out three. The victory was the 18th of his career and moved him within one spot of the Sea Lions' all-time top 10 list. He gave way to three different relievers which allowed just a solo home run over four innings of work.
 
Game 2: Garrett Irvin could not have scripted a better performance when he imagined his collegiate debut. The freshman from Corona, Calif., fired five innings of one-run baseball while allowing five hits, no walks and striking out 10. He worked through a tough jam in the fourth when he overcame two PLNU errors in the field and put a 'zero' on the scoreboard.
 
He was helped offensively by a Sea Lion lineup that scored in the first inning for the third straight game. Point Loma put up single runs in the first and the third inning, but UNA cut the lead to 2-1 with a pair of doubles in the fifth. PLNU was trying to answer in its bottom half of the inning as it put the first two runners on. However, a popped up sacrifice bunt led to a double play, and PLNU looked like it was not going to get anything during an inning that looked very promising. But Micah Pries, who was 3-for-3 in the game, extended the frame with a single and Tyler Flores followed with a two-out, three-run homer to extend the lead to 5-1. Cole Millerd and Connor Barrett each fired a scoreless frame out of the pen to complete the victory.
 
Team Records
Point Loma (3-0), North Alabama (0-3)
 
Schaefer speaks
On the early offense: "That is highly encouraging. One of our goals is being the first team on the board and finding a way to grab the lead early. Doing it in all three games was huge. We had to earn it that last game and it was very encouraging to see that from our guys."
 
On the team staying focused throughout the game: "A constant emphasis from our end is extending leads. In the past we have been hurt by having a big inning, but not being able to put runs on the board the rest of the day. Being able to take extra bases and finding a way to get that extra 90 feet so we can get one extra run here and there is making life a lot easier for us and takes some pressure off the pitching staff."
 
On Irvin's debut: "He did a really good job. What I was most impressed with was that he didn't walk anyone. He was on the constant attack and was ahead in the count. Even when we kicked the ball around and gave them some free bases, he kept his composure and made some big pitches to get out of the inning with minimal damage."
 
On Flores home run: "That was humongous. Even before that with Micah being able to reach base to extend the inning. That was a huge swing by Flores. It was so big and completely changed the complexion of the last two innings."
 
On the sweep: "An opening weekend series sweep is huge, no matter who the opponent is. Even more than the sweep, I am proud that we won the second game of the doubleheader. No matter what happened the game before, being able to win the last game of a series is a big point of emphasis for us. I am proud of the way the guys maintained their approach and composure in a tight game."
 
News and Notes
> The last time PLNU opened the season with a sweep it was also against a team from Alabama (Faulkner)
> Adam Rios had three stolen bases in the series
> In the series PLNU relievers combined to allowed just one earned run in 10.1 innings of work
> Micah Pries posted multi-hit games in all three games of the series as he went 7-for-11
> Just twice last season did a PLNU pitcher strikeout 10 in a game (Sheppard, twice)
 
Up Next
Point Loma will be at home the entire month of February. The Sea Lions will welcome in Cal State Monterey Bay for a three-game series (Feb. 8-10) beginning on Thursday, Feb. 8. First pitch is schedule for 2 p.m.