How do you follow-up a walkoff hit? Ryan Garcia may have had the best encore performance to his game-winning hit on Thursday possible as he hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth to lift PLNU to a 1-0 win against Hawaii Pacific in game one and then drove in three RBI in an 11-2 win by the Sea Lions in game two as Point Loma swept the four-game series (April 3).
The Sea Lions extend their school-record winning streak to 15 games with the victories. PLNU is now 28-7 on the season and in second place in the PacWest conference with a 16-4 record. The Sharks have now lost 12 straight games to fall to 12-17 on the season and to 9-15 in the PacWest. Game 1
When Ryan Garcia made contact on the first pitch of his at-bat in the bottom of the ninth in a 0-0 tie there was no doubt that he had just delivered the game-winning home run. His teammates poured out of the dugout to await Garcia at home as he rounded the bases with his fist pumping. He high fived coach Joe Schaefer at third base and then leaped onto home plate as the winning run in a 1-0 game.
The Sea Lions and Garcia only had this chance because of the great start turned in by Kellen Sheppard. Sheppard went the first eight innings allowing just five hits and no runs or walks while striking out a career-high 11 batters. After 102 pitches he gave way Coleman Huntley III for the ninth inning. Huntley made it interesting but managed to strikeout the side to keep the game scoreless to set up Garcia’s dramatics and earn the victory to improve to 2-1 on the season.
“Ryan had the big swing in the ninth but we win that game because Sheppard and Coleman matched HPU’s starter,” said Point Loma head coach Joe Schaefer. “We couldn’t do anything offensively for the first eight innings but our guys did a great job of matching their pitcher with zeros on the board each inning. That is the only reason we had a chance to win it in the ninth.”
Garcia had two of the Sea Lions’ three hits in the game, including the home run. He led off the seventh inning with a double but was stranded on third. He is tied for the PacWest lead with 17 doubles and is fourth in RBIs (29).
“Garcia is doing a job of taking what they give him,” explained Schaefer. “When they stay away he is hitting the ball away and he can find the gap in the opposite field and find the line. He is seeing the ball well and taking what they give him. He is doing a great job in that 3 hole for us right now.”
Rico Garcia (3-4) took the loss for Hawaii Pacific despite pitching a great game. He pitched all 8.1 innings allowing just three hits and one run while striking out 11 and walking two.
“Their guy was really good on the mound,” said Schaefer. “That is as good a start as we have seen from an opposing pitcher all year. We had a really hard time making adjustments against him and he didn’t give us anything. We had to earn everything. We had trouble just finding opportunities. Ryan got a big swing off him that last inning and that saved us.” Game 2
Point Loma got the big inning it was searching for all series in the fourth when it rallied for six runs with two outs and cruised to an 11-2 victory. Trevor Abshire (5-1) pitched a complete game allowing just six hits and two runs while striking out seven in this seven-inning affair. He had a shutout going until the sixth inning when he left a hanger to Ian Arciaga who touched it over the fence for the Sharks’ only runs of the day.
After having just three hits in game 1, the Sea Lions exploded for 15 hits in game 2. The 2-5 hitters in the PLNU order combined to go 10-for-14 with two doubles, a home run, six RBI and nine runs scored. Garcia was 3-for-4 with two doubles, three RBI, a walk and three runs scored. AJ Derr was also 3-for-4 with a walk and added three runs scored. Devin Carter recorded his sixth home run of the season in the fifth and finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Joseph Keller and Trey Hunt were both 2-for-2 with a walk and a run scored.
“In game 1 we did not look very good offensively so it was nice to see the offense respond in game 2. They capitalized on some free base runners with some timely hits. It was great to see Trevor go out and do what he did. It was exciting to see him work deep into a ball game and for the offense to come out swinging.”
PLNU put up two runs in the first on four hits and led 2-0 entering the fourth. Hunt led off the inning with a walk but was still standing on first with two outs. Derr then drew a walk and Garcia followed with a two-run double to left center field. Carter, Keller and Jervis followed with three straight walks to score another run and reload the bases for Preston Sands who blooped a ball into center field to score two more. Tanner Handa capped of the six-run inning with an opposite field, RBI single.
Ethan Kalin (2-1) took the loss for Hawaii Pacific after allowing nine hits and five runs in 3.2 innings of work. Next games
Point Loma will step out of PacWest play for a pair of contests against non-conference opponents next week. The Sea Lions will go to Cal State Dominguez Hills on Tuesday, April 7 at 2 p.m., and then return home to face San Diego Christian on Wednesday, April 8 at 3 p.m.