AZUSA, Calif. - The Point Loma and Azusa Pacific baseball teams split their Tuesday doubleheader to set up Wednesday to be essentially a one-game playoff for the 2018 PacWest Championship. In the first game on Tuesday, PLNU edged APU, 5-4. Then in the nightcap, the Cougars' scored in all but one inning to earn a 10-5 victory.
 
Game 1: Every member of the PLNU team stepped up to help the Sea Lions pull out a 5-4 win over the Cougars in Tuesday's first game.
 
PLNU jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the top of the first thanks to a bases loaded error and a two-run, two-out single by Justin Ledgerwood. They would extend the lead to 4-0 on a solo home run by Micah Pries in the third. APU would chip away at the lead with one in the fifth, before tying the game with a three-run sixth.
 
The Sea Lions would rally for the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth. Colby Kaneshiro led off the inning with a single and after a great defensive play by Pablo O'Connor in left field, Tyler Flores singled and Adrian Collazo walked to load the bases. Travis Takata came to the plate and hit the ball into the hole between the shortstop and third baseman. The shortstop, Mychael Goudreau was able to get to the ball but his only play was to third base and pinch runner Alekzander De La Cruz was able to come home with the go-ahead run.
 
APU tried to mount a rally in the bottom of the eighth. The Cougars put two runners on with two out, before PLNU turned to its closer John Balliet. The junior left hander came in the game and defused the threat by getting a harmless fly out to right field. He would pitch through a little trouble in the ninth for his seventh save of the season.
 
Robert Ortiz III (3-3) earned the win in relief. He came into the game in the seventh and worked through a leadoff error. He finished his day pitching 1.2 innings, allowing one hit, one walk and no runs, while striking out one. Starter Layne Henderson (6-2) took the loss for APU after he was charged with five hits, five runs (three earned) and one walk. He struck out seven over his 7.1 innings of work.
 
The top seven hitters in the Sea Lions' lineup all reached base safely during the course of the game. Colby Kaneshiro and John Balliet each had two hits and scored a run. Ledgerwood led the team with two RBI.
 
Game 2: The Cougars' bats finally woke out of their slumber to take the second game on Tuesday, 10-5.
 
APU hit three home runs in the game and built a 9-0 lead before Point Loma scored five in the sixth to make the score more respectable. In the five-run sixth, Tyler Flores and Adrian Collazo both homered, and Darian Sylvester scored after posting a pinch hit single.
 
Dillon Miyashiro (8-1) earned the win for Azusa Pacific. He was cruising along until PLNU scored all five runs off of him in the sixth. He went 5.1 innings, allowing seven hits, five runs and one walk, while striking out four. Wyatt Shackleford (9-2) took the loss for Point Loma.
 
Team Records
Point Loma (33-15, 29-10 PacWest), Azusa Pacific (38-9, 28-9 PacWest)
 
PacWest Implications
The two teams are separated by just 0.013 percentage points in the PacWest Conference standings. PLNU has played two more conference games, and has one more win and one more loss, due to APU having a doubleheader rained out at Hilo, Hawaii. The result of tomorrow's game will determine the 2018 PacWest Championship and the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA West Regional.
 
Words from coach Schaefer
On the opportunity to play for the PacWest Championship tomorrow: "We are excited and pumped for the game tomorrow. We would have loved to get it done today, but to have a chance in the last day of the season to win the conference is all we could ever ask for. Especially for us, with the way the season and conference play started, we are stoked to be in this position."
 
News and Notes
> The loss snapped the Sea Lions' winning streak at 16 games
> Flores' home run was his 19th of the season and it moved him into a tie for most home runs in a single-season in PLNU history
> This was the first time this season that Point Loma lost a seven-inning game
> It was also the first loss for Wyatt Shackleford as a starter
> John Balliet moves into the Sea Lions all-time top 10 list with seven saves in a season
> The 10 runs allowed were the most runs PLNU had yielded since giving up 10 against Biola on Mar. 30
> The three home runs allowed also matched a season-high for the Sea Lions
> Point Loma is the No. 3 ranked team in the NCAA West Region poll and APU is ranked No. 2
 
Up Next
The 2018 PacWest Championship and the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA West Regional will all be determined with the result of tomorrow's game. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.