IRVINE, Calif.-Powerful pitching continues to spur the Point Loma Sea Lions (17-1 overall, 3-1 PacWest) as they completed a four-game sweep of the Concordia Eagles (9-8-1 overall, 3-1 PacWest) with 3-1 and 4-0 victories Monday evening at Eagles Field.

While Point Loma's offense has helped earn national attention over the first couple weeks of the season, the pitching has flexed its collective muscle over the last couple of weeks.

Concordia scratched across the first run of the game in the bottom of the first, taking advantage of a one-out walk followed by a Michael Dixon single, before an RBI groundout brought in Nathan Benefito.

Point Loma tied the game up after a series of freebies from the Eagles in the top of the 2nd. After Izayah Alvarez raked a single into center to lead off the inning, Michael Pineiro drew a walk and J.J. Gerarden was hit by a pitch. A balk brought home Alvarez, tying the game at 1.

Point Loma took the lead in the third as Scott Anderson started the inning with a single. Jack Malone doubled down the line to score Anderson and give Point Loma the 2-1 lead.

The Sea Lion's starter Nathan Garkow kept Concordia in check over until the 5^th inning when a leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt prompted a move to the bullpen.

Garkow was solid in the start, striking out 5 and navigating through three hits and two walks in 4.1 innings to keep Point Loma in front.

As good as Garkow was, the bullpen slammed the door shut. Cayden Rana took the ball and escaped the 5^th inning. Rana tossed two more innings of scoreless relief giving Point Loma's offense a chance to add an insurance run.

That finally came in the 7^th, when Hunter Otjen started the inning with a double to center field. After walks to Pineiro and Otto Kemp loaded the bases, Otjen scored on a wild pitch.

The 3-1 lead was more than enough as Zach Veen struck out 4 batters over the last two innings for his second save of the season, securing the series victory for Point Loma giving them their third win of the four-game series.

But the fourth game was still to be played and Point Loma wasted no time jumping in front of Concordia in the 7 inning contest.

Kemp walked to start the game and advanced on Anderson's single. After Halligan walked, Easton Waterman's bases-loaded sacrifice fly gave Point Loma the first run. Malone backed it up with an RBI single, plating Anderson, and making the lead 2-0 for the Sea Lions.

Point Loma starter Jack Gonzales made good use of the two-run lead, striking out six in his first four innings of work while scattering one hit and one walk.

Waterman added another RBI, blasting a solo homer in the top of the 5^th to push the Sea Lions lead to 3-0.

Gonzales polished off his outing in the fifth while working around another walk and one more hit by striking out two.

He turned the ball over to Cole Hillier in the sixth inning. Concordia immediately built a threat after a leadoff double by Michael Dixon. Three batters later, the Eagles loaded the bases with just one out.

But Hillier dug into his power pitches, striking out the next two batters to end the threat and maintain the 3-0 lead heading into the 7^th.

Point Loma tacked on insurance in the top half of the inning as Kemp walked to start the frame and stole second. Anderson's sacrifice bunt got him to third and a passed ball brought him home for a 4-0 PLNU lead.

Hillier locked down the 7^th inning with a pair of strikeouts to secure the 4-0 win while earning his 6^th save of the season.

Veen and Hillier each earned a save on Monday and the pair have combined for 24 innings of relief, capturing 8 saves while striking out 50 batters and walking just three over 14 combined appearances.

Neither surrendered a run while completing 2-inning saves on Monday.

Point Loma's other three arms on Monday were more than solid, as Garkow, Rana, and Gonzales combined to hold Concordia to just one run over their 12 innings and the Sea Lion's pitching staff surrendered just three total runs in the series.

The win completes a 4-game, non-conference sweep of #20 Concordia, the 2^nd ranked team in the West Region behind the Sea Lions.

Point Loma will have the rest of the week off from games before returning to Carroll B. Land Stadium on Monday, March 14^th to open a four-game series against PacWest opponent Hawai'i Pacific. The series will be a pair of double-headers on Monday and Tuesday, each day beginning at 11:00 am.