SAN DIEGO - In a matchup of top 25 teams, No. 20 Point Loma swept a non-conference doubleheader from No. 14 Azusa Pacific on Friday, Mar. 8. The Sea Lions won the opener 5-1 before taking the nightcap 4-1.
 
Game 1: Zack Noll went seven innings, allowing six hits and just one run while striking out eight to help lift PLNU to the 5-1 win in the opener.
 
The only blemish against Noll (4-0) was a leadoff home run by Osvaldo Tovalin in the fourth. APU would put the next two runners on in the inning, but Noll worked around the threat to keep it a one-run game.
 
In the bottom the fourth, the Sea Lions had a mini two-out rally as Colby Kaneshiro worked a walk and Justin Ledgerwood followed with a two-run, opposite field homer to put PLNU up 2-1.
 
Point Loma would extend its lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run single by Travis Takata, and that would be more than enough for Noll on this day.
 
Eight of the nine PLNU starters had a hit in the game. Kyle Gracey, Justin Ledgerwood and Michael Palos each posted a multi-hit performance. Tovalin was 2-for-3 with a home run for the Cougars.  
 
Game 2: Jerry Quemada picked up right were Noll left off. The junior right-hander went five strong innings, allowing just four hits and no runs, to go along with eight strikeouts and no walks.
 
The Sea Lions staked him to a 3-0 lead with a three-run rally in the bottom of the second. After Colby Kaneshiro and Justin Ledgerwood reached with one out, John Balliet doubled in a run before Miguel Cazares added another on a sacrifice fly and Kyle Gracey capped off the inning with a two-out, run-scoring double.
 
With the lead in hand, Quemada was even better. He set APU down in order in the third inning, before Tovalin led off the fourth with a double to break Quemada's streak of eight straight batters retired, with six strikeouts included.
 
He handed the ball off to the bullpen in the sixth. Josh Richter, Steven Elliott and Robert Ortiz III would combine to go the next four innings. They allowed three hits and just one run, while Ortiz picked up his first career save with a perfect ninth.
 
Gracey, Ledgerwood and Palos each recorded a multi-hit performance for the second straight game. John Balliet also had two hits as the Sea Lions outhit the Cougars in the game 10-7.

Team Records
#20 Point Loma (13-6), #14 Azusa Pacific (11-8)
 
Words from the student-athletes
   

Words from coach James
On Noll's start: "He is a good pitcher and he was on the attack. We had a game plan and he executed it very well. He has the right mentality up there to be a special guy going forward. I am really happy for him."
 
On the Sea Lions' two-strike approach: "We just had a team meeting on two-strike and two-out battles. We watched videos of what this looks like and the guys took to it really well. They brought that exact mentality today which allowed Ledge to do his thing. There are so many good at-bats in from of the big at-bats that are going unknown but they know they are doing a special job."
 
On Quemada's start: "Jerry was fantastic. He did not walk anyone, and that is where it starts. We preach about pounding the zone and being fearless. He definitely did a good job of all those things in his start."
 
On Azusa Pacific: "They are a fantastic team that is coached very well and they have a lot of good player. We just executed at a high level today and good things happened. If you don't execute a team like that can make your day miserable."
 
News and Notes
> Point Loma is 6-0 in Noll's six starts
> PLNU's pitchers were 5-for-5 in shutdown innings
> The Sea Lions allowed just one walk while striking out 21 batters
> This is the second time this season PLNU has had two different people earn saves on the same day
> This was PLNU's first win when committing two or more errors (1-5)
  
Up Next
Point Loma and Azusa Pacific will continue their non-conference series with another doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 9 at Azusa, Calif. The first pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. The Sea Lions are expected to throw Stirling Strong (1.2, 4.44 ERA) in the opener and Nathan Garkow (3-0, 1.20 ERA) in the nightcap.