(FRESNO, Calif.) No. 2 seed PLNU Baseball was eliminated from the PacWest Championships with a narrow 6-7 loss to No. 3 seed Hawai'i Pacific on Thursday night.
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Point Loma (37-16 overall), ranked No. 4 in the latest NCAA West Regional rankings, now awaits an at-large selection into the regional, with the top-six teams making the NCAA postseason.
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Josiah Rodriguez gave Point Loma an early lead with an RBI-single in the top of the first inning.
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After HPU hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the third to go ahead 3-1, PLNU answered right back with two runs each in the fourth and fifth to go back in front.
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Jake Schwartz' base hit up the middle scored one before
Tommy Molina's sacrifice fly tied the game in the fourth.
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Then in the fifth,
Jake Entrekin then went yard for the second time in the PacWest Championships to restore the Sea Lions' advantage.
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Luke Reece then put Point Loma up by three with an RBI-groundout in the sixth.
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Ray Cebulski pitched six innings and left the game with the lead.
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After HPU tied it up in the bottom of the seventh,
Noah Meffert doubled up a runner at the plate to keep the game level through seven.
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All-PacWest relief pitcher
Michael Sarhatt pitched 1.2 innings of relief without allowing an earned run before the Sharks walked it off on an error with two outs in the ninth.
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Point Loma will hear its NCAA postseason fate during Sunday's Selection Show at 7:30 p.m.