(AZUSA, Calif.) Top-seeded PLNU Baseball staved off elimination at the PacWest Championships with a 6-4 comeback victory over second-seeded Hawai'i Pacific on Thursday.
After
Esai Santos gave the Sea Lions an early 1-0 lead with a solo shot in the bottom of the first, HPU scored three in the top of the third and another in the top of the fourth to take a 4-1 advantage.
Point Loma then got a pair back in the bottom of the fourth to get to within one after loading the bases with nobody out.
Esai Santos and
Scott Anderson hit back-to-back singles to lead off the inning before
Jake Entrekin walked.
Santos then scored on a wild pitch, followed by Anderson crossing home plate on
Bryson Hashimoto's sacrifice fly.
The Sharks got out of the jam to maintain their one-run lead, only for Santos to tie it up a few innings later in the seventh with an RBI-double to left on an 0-2 pitch.
Seth Ryberg scored that tying run after subbing in as a pinch runner earlier in the inning and sliding in safely at second base to break up a possible double play on a hit-and-run with
Joey Nicolai.
Starting pitcher
Austyn Coleman pitched seven innings and left with the game tied, before
Kaden Lewis and
Christian Williams then combined to hold HPU scoreless in the eighth.
The Sea Lions bats came through in the bottom half, as
Will Pope doubled to left center to score
Jack Malone with the go-ahead run before Nicolai singled to put the Sea Lions up by two.
James Sashin then closed the door with a scoreless ninth for his 16th save of the season, which continues to lead NCAA Division II and is one shy of the single-season program record set by
Cole Hillier in 2022.
Williams was awarded the win out of the bullpen on his birthday.
Point Loma (37-10-1 overall) will now play again at 7 p.m. against the loser of Azusa Pacific and Concordia.
