SAN DIEGO - Alekzander De La Cruz came through clutch with a walk-off grand slam in the series finale against Biola to lift the Point Loma baseball team to a 7-4 victory. PLNU also won the earlier game, 11-3, to earn the series victory.
 
Game 1: Travis Takata posted his second four-hit game of the season, and Justin Ledgerwood came through with a late grand slam to back a quality outing from starter Stirling Strong, in the 11-3 win.
 
Strong (2-2) went six innings allowing six hits, two runs (one earned) and one walk. He struck out five. The Sea Lions staked him to a 5-0 lead with two runs in the second and three more in the fourth.
 
Strong was eventually bumped from the game after Biola led-off the seventh with back-to-back singles. Biola would load the bases in the inning, but the Eagles would manage to push just one run across the plate as reliever Steven Elliot was able to escape the jam.
 
Biola would score another run in the eighth to cut the Sea Lions' lead to 6-3, but PLNU had the answer inning. Colby Kaneshiro led-off with a solo home run, and later in the inning Justin Ledgerwood added a grand slam that extended Point Loma's lead to 11-3.
 
Game 2: The sun was setting at Carroll B. Land Stadium and on Point Loma's chances to earn a PacWest-series victory. That was before a rally in the bottom of the seventh loaded the bases and set the stage for a historic finish from Alekzander de la Cruz.
 
The sophomore first baseman, who had entered the game in the fourth inning after Justin Ledgerwood came up limping, stepped to the plate with the bases full of Sea Lions and PLNU down one (4-3). He took the first two pitches to get to a hitters' count at 2-0, and the next pitch he saw he launched it high and deep into center field.
 
The center field tracked it to the wall as De La Cruz watched it going up the first base line and both teams held their breath. Brandon Cody made the leap, and for one moment it looked like he might have made the catch, but he landed back on the ground with his glove empty, as De La Cruz raised is arms in triumph and started his journey around the bases.
 
His teammates poured out of the dugout and waited for him to join them at home plate as yells of 'Zander' echoed throughout the park. De La Cruz rounded third base and headed straight for home. He through his batting helmet high into the air and jumped on home plate to complete the walk-off grand slam, the 7-4 victory and the series win.
 
While De La Cruz's shot was the highlight of the game, but it was not the only good performance or the only factor in the win.  
 
Nathan Garkow gave Point Loma a chance at victory with five solid innings of work. He allowed four hits, two runs, and one walk while striking out a pair. The Sea Lions were not able to get much going until he was out of the game.
 
Point Loma had just one run on the board, from a solo homer by Kyle Gracey to leadoff the Sea Lions' half of the first inning, but rallied to tie the game in the sixth. After a Michael Palos walk loaded the bases with two outs, Miguel Cazares again came up in the clutch with a two-out, opposite-field single to tie the game at 3-3.
 
Biola went back on top with back-to-back doubles by Robert Anthony Cruz and Jerron Largusa in the top of the seventh, setting up the magic moment for De La Cruz and the Sea Lions.
 
Robert Ortiz III (2-1) earned the win, and Anthony Villegas (3-1) suffered the loss.

Team Records
#17 Point Loma (17-8, 5-2 PacWest), Biola (11-9, 6-6 PacWest)
 
Words from the student-athletes


Words from coach James
On Strong's start: "Multiple starts in a row he has been able to limit the free baserunners and when he does that he is really hard to beat. Crooked numbers don't happen against him very often. He has been putting himself in good positions to be successful."
 
On the eighth-inning rally: "Innings like that don't happen just because of one or two guys. It takes several guys in the lineup buying into a plan and trusting their ability. Colby crushed that baseball. Ledgerwood made an in-game adjustment on how they were pitching him, and he got a good swing on a good pitch height to take care of business."
 
On Takata's four-hit performance: "Travis Takata has made himself into a really good player. Not only does he play with a ton of energy that everyone feeds off, but he has been playing a fantastic second base, and that has transferred into the box as well. He is becoming a natural leader for us on and off the field. I am very happy with Travis Takata right now."
 
On Garkow's start: "Just like Strong, he limits the baserunners. We want to get beat with them swinging the bat against us. He had an aggressive plan towards their hitters. He executed it very well and made the pitches when he had to."
 
On Cazares' two-out hit: "What Miggy does is not always in the box score. He saves so many runs defensively and with his positive attitude. That was a big hit for him in a big moment. That hit gets the momentum back in our favor. He easily could have folded there, but he ties us back up and gives us a chance."
 
On the seventh-inning rally and de la Cruz's grand slam: "Dunlap did a great job with two strikes to start that inning, and then Pries does what he does. After that it was a series of moves and de la Cruz was the next man up. He works his tail off. Even with his limited playing time, he has never had a sulky day. He had his moment to shine, and he took care of it."
 
News and Notes
> Takata now has two four-hit games on the season (4-for-4 vs. CSUMB, 2/7/19)
> This was PLNU's second walk-off win of the season (Ledgerwood, Feb. 1)
> Point Loma is 3-4 in the final game of a series
> PLNU has walk-off grand slams in two of its last 17 home games (Pries, 4/27/18)

Up Next
Point Loma will play Concordia in a conference doubleheader on Mar. 22-23. The teams will play at PLNU on Friday and at Concordia on Saturday.