SAN DIEGO – The Sea Lions earned two of three possible victories today over Holy Names and start PacWest play with a 3-1 record after the weekend concluded.

GAME TWO: Through the first three innings neither team could gain any momentum. Of the combined 19 hitters seven struck out. In the top of the fourth, the Hawks would scratch a run across on three hits and one walk. Garkow limited the damage as he struck the next hitter to hold HNU in check.

The Sea Lions came back in the top of the fourth and plated a run of their own to tie the game 1-1. The first two Sea Lions of the inning were retired but PLNU would not shy away. The next three hitters reached base before Brett O'Toole walked in the tying run.

The Sea Lions added on two more in the fifth when Baxter Halligan hit a sinking line drive to right field. The right fielder took an ill-advised dive and missed the ball, Miguel Cazares and Izayah Alvarez came around to score on the Halligan triple.

The Sea Lions busted the game open in the sixth scoring five runs to take a commanding 8-1 lead. The PLNU bats stayed hot into the seventh inning plating two more runs before the game was suspended due to darkness.

The game was picked up in the top of the eighth on Saturday, March 7 with Robbie Ortiz III taking the mound for the Sea Lions. Ortiz III retired the first batter of the inning via strikeout but proceeded to walk the next two batters before bearing down and getting out of the inning allowing no runs to come across.

Point Loma added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth thanks to James Halpin's two-run home run. Holy Names tried to get a rally started but fell well short of what they needed. The Sea Lions won the game 12-3.

GAME THREE: The Sea Lions had yet another flair for the dramatic as Ricardo Yoquigua walked of the Hawks on an RBI single with one out in the ninth to give the Sea Lions a 5-4 win.

The Point Loma bats picked up right where they left off. In the bottom of the third PLNU plated four runs with three runs coming in on Justin Ledgerwood's three-run home run to straightaway center field.

Holy Names got on the board in the top of the sixth when they pushed three runs across and knocked Stirling Strong out of the game. Strong twirled a gem through 5.2 innings striking out six and allowing just three runs before Baxter Halligan came on in relief.  

Dominic Masciel tied the game in the top of the seventh with a solo blast, his second of the series. Both teams could not scrape a run across in the eighth and the game went to the ninth knotted at 4-4.

Nick Cornelius came on in relief of Baxter Halligan in the ninth and made quick work of the Hawks. Cornelius sent them down in order, striking one out, getting one to pop out, and the last to ground out.

In the bottom half of the ninth, the first three batters of the inning reached for the Sea Lions. Brett O'Toole dug in looking to play hero but grounded out to the third basemen who threw home to keep the game tied. The next batter would be Ricardo Yoquigua who came in and pinch hit for Cazares.

Yoquigua called game and walked the Hawks off with an RBI single up the middle to keep the sweep alive.

GAME FOUR: After a strong first inning by the Sea Lion offense, the bats went cold and could not extend their hot streak into the fourth and final game of the series. Point Loma fell to Holy Names 8-2.

The Sea Lions offense started right where they left off the game before and plated a run in the first thanks to Ricardo Yoquigua. Yoquigua hit into a fielder's choice that would plate Izayah Alvarez.

Andrew Amato cruised through two innings before Holy Names pushed four runs across in the third inning on four hits. Holy Names then had a two-out rally in the sixth that plated two more runs. The Hawks got their two runs on no hits and five walks.

Point Loma responded with a run of their own in the sixth but the rally was cut short after Easton Waterman grounded into a double play that got the momentum back on the Hawks side. PLNU went into the bottom of the seventh trailing 8-2 and looking for a big rally to propel them to a sweep.

The Sea Lions started off the inning with three of the first four batters reaching base, unfortunately, nothing would come of the bases loaded one-out situation and the Sea Lions fell 8-2 in the final game of the series.

Team Records
Point Loma (9-8, 3-1 PacWest), Holy Names (10-15, 1-7 PacWest)

News and Notes
> Nathan Garkow struck out a season-high nine batters in his start in game two.  
> Baxter Halligan's triple is only the second Sea Lion triple this season.
> Jack Malone made all three outs in the field in the top of the seventh.
> The 12 runs scored in game two were the most since April 4, 2019, in which the Sea Lions scored 14 also against Holy Names.
> This is the second Sea Lion walk-off in as many days.
> This is the first time the Sea Lions have been above .500 this season.
> Justin Ledgerwood hit for the cycle in the series.

Up Next
The Sea Lions will travel to La Mirada, Calif. to take on Biola next Friday and Saturday, March 13-14 in a four-game conference series.