SAN DIEGO - The No. 24 Point Loma baseball team fell victim to the big inning and suffered their first loss of the year. Cal State Monterey Bay capitalized on its scoring opportunity in the third inning as it put four runs on the board and held on for the 5-3 victory.
 
Aaron Gaela delivered the big hit of the inning when he doubled down the left field line with two out to plate two more runs and extend the lead to 4-1. Tyler Flores cut the lead in half with a solo home run in the fourth. In the seventh inning, the teams traded runs to make it 5-3.
 
In the eighth, PLNU had a chance to tie the game as Micah Pries led off with a single and Flores crushed the ball off the wall in right center for would became a double. However, it still left the Sea Lions with the tying run on second with no outs, but the Otters' Jeffrey Ahern was able to work out of trouble and PLNU came away empty that inning and in the ninth.
 
Gabe Katich (1-0) earned the win by allowing five hits and two runs over five innings. He struck out three and walked one. AJ Banuelos earned the save. Stephen Young (1-0) took the loss for PLNU.
 
Team Records
Point Loma (3-1), Cal State Monterey Bay (1-0)
 
The Turning Point
Despite trailing much of the game, Point Loma still had a great chance to tie or win the game after Flores' double in the eighth inning put runners at second and third with no outs. Nico Anderson worked his count to 3-1 and roped a ball which was snared by the second basemen and the next two batters went down in order and the game remained at 5-3.
 
Schaefer speaks
On importance of limiting the 'big inning': "Those tend to be the difference maker in the ball game most times. That is why we are always fighting to create the big inning for ourselves. We know if we can have the biggest inning of the day, we are typically going to win the game. Today they had the big inning, and they came out on the winning end."
 
On learning experience from the loss: "We led every inning last weekend and this was the first opportunity to play from behind and deal with adversity. I am encouraged and believe we will make the adjustments to come out and play better baseball tomorrow."
 
On Flores' near game-winner: "He got an elevated pitch in a tough lefty-on-lefty matchup and he stayed through the middle of the field. Unfortunately for us it just missed getting out."
 
News and Notes
> Balliet has hit safely in the first four games of his PLNU career
> Flores leads PLNU in runs batted in (six) and slugging percentage (.813)
> Flores was the only Sea Lions to record a multi-hit game
> Young allowed 10 baserunners in five innings. Last year, he ranked 20th in the NCAA with just a 1.00 WHIP
 
Up Next
These teams will continue their three-game series on Friday and Saturday. Friday's game will begin at 2 p.m., and Saturday's at 11 a.m.