(SAN DIEGO) Jake Entrekin hit three home runs to power No. 4 PLNU Baseball to an Opening Day doubleheader sweep of Northwest Nazarene on Friday inside Carroll B. Land Stadium.
 
The sophomore catcher hit two go-ahead homers in a 7-5 victory in game one, before smashing a two-out, sixth inning grand slam that gave Point Loma a 5-3 win in game two.
 
After hitting two home runs in 74 at-bats as a freshman in 2022, Entrekin has already surpassed that total following the first day of the 2023 season.
 
It didn't take long for the Sea Lions to get their bats going in the first game, as PLNU scored three runs in the bottom of the first on run-scoring singles from Jakob Christian and Jack Malone.
 

Instant offense.@PLNUBaseball scored three runs in the Bottom of the 1st to take an early 3-0 lead over Northwest Nazarene in the Sea Lions' season opener. pic.twitter.com/e8kXBTTsow

— PLNU Sea Lions (@PLNUSeaLions) February 3, 2023

 
NNU then tied it up at 3-3 over the next couple innings, setting the stage for Entrekin's first go-ahead homer that put PLNU up 5-3 in the bottom of the third.
 
The visitors drew level in the top of the sixth with a pair of runs, only for Entrekin to respond with a solo blast to right center in the bottom half of the inning.
 

🚀

Jake Entrekin hits a pair of home runs for @PLNUBaseball on Opening Day. pic.twitter.com/Ip2hkBpmcQ

— PLNU Sea Lions (@PLNUSeaLions) February 3, 2023

 
Hunter Otjen's RBI-single later in the sixth gave the Sea Lions a valuable insurance run, which proved more than enough as Ethan Pope and Cole Hillier combined to shutout the Nighthawks over the final three innings.
 
The roles then appeared to reverse in game two, with NNU scoring three in the first inning to take a commanding early lead.
 
Scott Anderson's RBI-double in the bottom of the third brought PLNU back to within two.
 

Scott Anderson's double gets one back for @PLNUBaseball.

Point Loma trails Northwest Nazarene 3-1 after 5 innings in Game 2. pic.twitter.com/hX5WKek9zL

— PLNU Sea Lions (@PLNUSeaLions) February 3, 2023

 
The Nighthawks were then just four outs away from evening the series, until the Sea Lions mustered an unlikely two-out rally.
 
With two outs and nobody one, Bryson Hashimoto picked up his third hit of the day with a single to left. Joey Nicolai then hit a dribbler down the third base line that resulted in an infield single to put runners on first and second.
 
Malone followed that up with a hard-hit single of his own to right, prompting third base coach Steve Sanchez to hold pinch runner Jeffrey Barber at third, loading the bases.
 
Entrekin validated Sanchez' decision with the highlight of the day, a no-doubt-about-it blast over the right-center field fence.
 

HE DOES IT AGAIN

Jake Entrekin hits his 3rd homer of the day, this time a go-ahead grand slam to put @PLNUBaseball up 5-3 going into the seventh inning. pic.twitter.com/EJXiww3Ts5

— PLNU Sea Lions (@PLNUSeaLions) February 3, 2023

 
Josh Combs earned the win with his scoreless sixth inning, while Otjen registered his first career save with a 1-2-3 seventh.
 
Both Sea Lion starting pitchers threw five innings of three-run ball. Dylan Miller struck out 10 batters in game one before Kaden Lewis fanned five hitters in game two.
 
Point Loma (2-0 overall) continues its series with Northwest Nazarene on Saturday with another doubleheader scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.