FRESNO, Calif. – After an outpour of runs in the first game the Sea Lions struggled to find their groove offensively in game two, and ended up splitting the doubleheader against Fresno Pacific.

Game one: The Point Loma bats struck early and often as PLNU posted 14 runs on 19 hits en route to a 14-3 victory over Fresno Pacific.

After threatening in the first inning Point Loma broke through in the second, scoring four runs on five hits. Tanner Spallina drove in the first two runs of the game with a single through the left side. After an Otto Kemp base hit, Baxter Halligan singled up the middle to drive in Michael Pineiro. With the bases loaded the Sea Lions plated the fourth and final run of the inning on a passed ball.

Point Loma got one more run in the third to extend their lead to 5-0. The Sea Lions then broke the game wide open with an eight-run fourth inning. PLNU scored five runs before the Sunbirds could record an out. The Sea Lions continued to hit the ball well but two of the next three hitters would get out. Two outs did not stop the Sea Lions from extending their lead. Otto Kemp put a charge into one and hit a three-run home run to give the Sea Lions a 13-0 lead.
Point Loma scratched across one more run in the fifth to take a commanding 14-0 lead.

Neither team scored for the next three innings. Fresno Pacific got a little rally going in the bottom of the ninth as they pushed across three runs but could not get any closer than that.

Game two: Point Loma was unable to keep the Fresno Pacific bats cold for too long as FPU exploded for 13 runs in game two. The Sea Lions could not match the offensive output and fell 13-4.

After a quiet first couple of innings for both teams, the scoring got started in the third inning when Otto Kemp hit a solo home run to centerfield to give the Sea Lions a 1-0 lead. The lead did not last long as the Sunbirds responded with a run of their own in the bottom half of the third inning.

Fresno Pacific took a four-run lead after the fourth inning after Matt McGrady hit a pinch-hit grand slam. The Sunbirds used that momentum and tagged on another six in the fifth inning to take an 11-1 lead.
The Sea Lions could not find the groove they had in game one and were unable to answer the Sunbirds.  Fresno Pacific tacked on two more runs in the sixth.

Otto Kemp gave the Sea Lions some momentum heading into the weekend with another home run, a three-run shot to centerfield. That is all the Sea Lions would get in the final frame and fell 13-4.

Decisions
Game one: WIN Baxter Halligan (3-1), LOSS Justin Fuson (2-5)
Game two: WIN Tyler Rumbaugh (3-1), LOSS Nathan Garkow (2-3)

Team records
Point Loma 10-20 (8-15 PacWest), Fresno Pacific 16-17 (12-12 PacWest)

News and notes
> Otto Kemp was a double shy of the cycle in the first game.
> Baxter Halligan recorded a season-high in strikeouts with eight in game one.
> Point Loma has won 15 of the last 18 games against the Sunbirds.
> Seven players recorded two or more hits in game one.

Up next
The Sea Lions will honor their seniors on Saturday, May 8 as they host Fresno Pacific for a doubleheader. The first game is set to begin at noon.