SAN DIEGO – John Balliet drove in five runs in both games of the doubleheader as the Point Loma baseball team scored 14 runs each time to sweep the twinbill from Holy Names. PLNU won the opener 14-5 and then saw Trevor Abshire strike out 16 Hawks en route to a 14-0 win the late game.
 
Game 1: After not scoring in the first two innings, Point Loma scored in each of the next six innings to defeat the Hawks 14-5.
 
Tyler Flores was 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base. John Balliet drove in five runs on just one hit. He hit a three-run home run in the seventh and posted two sacrifice flies.
 
Garrett Irvin (5-1) earned the win. He went five innings allowing six hits and two runs, while walking one and striking out eight. He Left with a 6-2 lead. The bullpen went the rest of the way. They allowed just two hits and one run over four innings of work. Both Cole Millerd and Alex Strizak posted perfect innings.
 
Game 2: The bats did not stop in game two and the pitching only got better. PLNU scored seven runs in the first and five in the second to stake starter Trevor Abshire to a 12-0 lead. He would go eight innings allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out 16 as PLNU won 14-0. The 16 K's match the second-most in school history.  
 
The Sea Lions sent 12 men to the plate in the first inning and put seven runs on the board. After a pair of leadoff walks to start the game, Tyler Flores deposited his 15th home run of the year over the right field wall for the early lead. It did not stop there as six of the next seven runners reach base safely and PLNU pushed across four more.
 
In the second the onslaught continued with RBI-hits from Adrian Collazo and Adam Rios before John Balliet put the explanation point on the inning with a three-run shot.
 
That was more than enough for Abshire (3-3). After he allowed a one-out single in the third he would retire the next nine batters in order, including seven in a row via the strikeout. He struck out the side in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
 
Team Records
Point Loma (21-14, 17-9 PacWest), Holy Names (7-25, 3-19 PacWest)
 
PacWest Implications
By splitting the doubleheader, PLNU remains two games back of Biola for second place in the PacWest standings. Both teams still trail first-place Azusa Pacific (27-3, 17-3 PacWest).
 
News and Notes
> The 16 strikeouts match Chad Blauer (5/20/2010) for second in the record books
> Tyler Flores is now tied for seventh in Point Loma history with 15 home runs in a season
> His 49 RBI rank Flores just three back of 10th place in school history (Judson Richards)
> Point Loma is on a 13-game winning streak against Holy Names
 
Up Next
The series will continue with another doubleheader on Monday, Apr. 9 at Noon.