(SAN DIEGO) Top-seeded PLNU Baseball surged late in its NCAA West Regional opener, scoring three runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to complete a 4-2 comeback victory over Cal State Marcos on Thursday at Carroll B. Land Stadium.
The Sea Lions trailed all the way up until the seventh inning after the fifth-seeded Cougars took an immediate lead in the top of the first, scoring twice on a double down the left field line.
CSUSM righthander Spencer Anderson held PLNU hitless for the first 3.1 innings and scoreless for the first 6.2, but Sea Lions' starter
Dylan Miller kept the hosts in the game, putting together a masterful performance the rest of his outing.
Miller didn't allow another run in his seven innings of work, giving his offense time to come through, which it did with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.
Hunter Otjen started the two-out rally with a solo shot to right center, before
Jack Malone's double kept the inning alive.
Pinch hitter
Owen May then singled up the middle to tie the game, followed by
Joey Nicolai's base hit through the right side that gave the Sea Lions their first lead of the game.
Otjen then ended the top of the eighth with an outfield assist, throwing out a runner at the plate to preserve Point Loma's one-run advantage.
PLNU tacked on another in the bottom half, capitalizing on a CSUSM error, but that insurance run was ultimately not needed as
James Sashin closed the door with a scoreless ninth.
Sashin's 17th save of the season ties a single-season program record and extends his NCAA Division II lead in the category.
PLNU's victory eliminates CSUSM, who were beaten by Cal Poly Pomona in the first game of the day.
That leaves Point Loma (41-10-1 overall) and CPP (32-22) to play essentially what becomes a best two-out-of-three series, with the winner advancing to next week's Super Regionals.
First pitch on Friday is scheduled for noon, before the two teams will then square off again on Saturday at 11 a.m.
If the Sea Lions and Broncos split the next two matchups, an if-necessary game would then follow on Saturday afternoon.
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
