(SAN DIEGO) No. 8 PLNU Baseball completed a four-game sweep of UCCS by winning both games of Saturday's doubleheader, 9-7 and 6-3, at Fowler Park on the campus of USD.
 
The Sea Lions raced out to an 8-0 lead in game one before holding off a late Mountain Lions' comeback bid.
 
Jack Malone tripled with two outs in the first to score Scott Anderson before Jake Entrekin's infield single plated Malone to give Point Loma an early 2-0 lead after one.
 
Esai Santos then connected with a two-run shot to double PLNU's advantage in the bottom of the second. Eric Smelko tripled and scored on Anderson's sacrifice fly, with Entrekin capping off the four-run second with an RBI-double down the left field line.
 

Jake Entrekin's double caps off a four-run second inning for @PLNUBaseball.

Point Loma leads UCCS, 6-0. pic.twitter.com/Mf1j6iu6K1

— PLNU Sea Lions (@PLNUSeaLions) February 17, 2024

 
Smelko came through in the third with a two-out base hit to make it 8-0 Sea Lions.
 

Eric Smelko adds to @PLNUBaseball's lead with a 2-out, 2-RBI single.@PLNUBaseball leads 8-0 after 3 innings. pic.twitter.com/RBrzDefXek

— PLNU Sea Lions (@PLNUSeaLions) February 17, 2024

 
UCCS got on the board in the top of the sixth, with PLNU answering in the bottom of the seventh on a single through the left side from Bryson Hashimoto.
 
The Mountain Lions then scored six runs in the eighth, helped by back-to-back home runs, to get back in the game but James Sashin earned his third save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.
 
Cole Colleran got the win, pitching 5.2 innings while only allowing one run and striking out five.
 
Then in game two, UCCS continued their late momentum from the first game to score one run in each of the first three innings of game two.
 

Esai Santos' double gets @PLNUBaseball on the board in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader.

UCCS leads 3-1 after 3 innings. pic.twitter.com/ELIV1BM1yT

— PLNU Sea Lions (@PLNUSeaLions) February 17, 2024

 
Santos then doubled to right in the bottom of the third to score PLNU's first run of game two.
 
Point Loma then scored three in the fourth, sparked by an Anderson line drive home run. Entrekin scored on a wild pitch before Bryson Hashimoto's RBI-single put the Sea Lions in front.
 

Sea Lions take the lead on Bryson Hashimoto's single to right.@PLNUBaseball now in front of UCCS, 4-3, in the bottom of the 4th. pic.twitter.com/PEugRjjB5I

— PLNU Sea Lions (@PLNUSeaLions) February 17, 2024

 
PLNU added two more runs in the fifth, on Jack Malone's base hit and a fielder's choice groundout from Hunter Otjen, before Connor Hill and Christian Williams helped close out the victory.
 
Austyn Coleman earned the win on the mound, pitching five innings while allowing two earned runs.
 
Point Loma (8-2 overall) now opens up PacWest play on Friday at Fresno Pacific. First pitch for Friday's doubleheader is scheduled for 11 a.m.