AZUSA, Calif. - No one will ever be able to say the Point Loma baseball team did not earn its first-ever NCAA West Regional victory. PLNU scored in all but two innings and battled for all 27 outs to defeat Cal State Monterey Bay, 13-12, on Friday, May 18.
 
After taking the early advantage with a four-run first, and adding on to make it 9-4, the Sea Lions saw their lead disappear quickly when CSUMB put up seven runs in the top of the sixth to go on top 11-9.
 
It was then junior Colby Kaneshiro's time to step to the plate and leave his mark in the annals of PLNU baseball history. With runners at first and third, and one out, Kaneshiro quickly fell behind 0-2. He would later say he was just looking for a pitch up to stay out of a double play, but he got a high fastball and drilled it over the left field wall to put Point Loma back up 12-11. PLNU would add what would be the game-winning run later in the inning on an RBI-single by Adrian Collazo to lead 13-11 with six out left to play, but things did not get any easier.
 
Nicholas Cornelius hit the first batter of the inning on a 1-2 count, and then after a wild pitch and a fly out, coach Joe Schaefer turned to closer John Balliet for a five-out save. He walked the first batter but then struck out the Otters' No. 2 hitter got a pinch hitter to fly out to center field to end the threat.
 
In the ninth, CSUMB quickly cut the Sea Lions' two-run cushion in half with a solo home run to center field by Jacob Tonascia. Balliet got the next batter to line out sharply to Tyler Flores in left field before giving up a single and a walk. However, he looked unfazed on the mound and was able to strike out Max Sanderson on three pitches and get a weak groundout to second base to end the game and keep Point Loma alive in the NCAA West Regional.
 
Kaneshiro went 3-for-4 with a walk, a home run, five RBI and two runs scored for the Sea Lions. That home run was just his fourth of the season. Adam Rios had three doubles and scored three runs. Travis Takata and Collazo added two RBI apiece. Tonascia lead the Otters by going 2-for-4 with two walks, two home runs, four RBI and three runs scored.
 
Cornelius (1-0) earned his first career victory with 1.1 scoreless innings, which included two strikeouts.

Team Records
Point Loma (33-17), Cal State Monterey Bay (39-17)

Words from coach Schaefer
On importance of winning the game for the PLNU baseball program: "This is huge from a program standpoint. We've been trying to get over the hump and get that first one out of the way. It has been a few years since the last time we were in a regional, and to play the way we played last night, these guys could have just rolled over and given pretty quickly."
 
On the offense: "I was proud of the way they showed up today, especially from an offensive standpoint. They put runs on the board right away and responded the way they did after last night was huge."
 
On the turnaround for tomorrow's game: "I think the energy is going to be great tomorrow. It is going to be an opportunity to play Azusa again tomorrow after losing a couple of tough ones at the end of the regular season. I think our guys will show up with the focus and intensity they need. It is just a matter of carrying over the same offensive approach from today to tomorrow and being better on the mound. If we do those things, I think we will be in good shape."

News and Notes
> This is the first NCAA Regional win in PLNU male sports history
> The 34 wins are the most for Point Loma since 2010
> This was PLNU's first win over CSUMB this season after it was swept in a three-game set by the Otters back in February
> Balliet's last two saves have both been four or more outs
> Kaneshiro's five RBI were a career-high
> An error sparked the Otters' seven-run rally
 
Up next
The Point Loma baseball team will be back in action tomorrow at 3 p.m. against No. 2 seed Azusa Pacific in an elimination game for both teams. The winner will advance to play on Monday, May 21.