Baseball is known as a sport that humbles even the greatest players, frustrating the best teams. Failures, especially at the plate, are far more common than successes. Pressing too hard during a slump often only prolongs the situation.

Such happenings in baseball can say the sport’s old-timers, only be explained in one way:

“Hey, it’s baseball.”

And after a dramatic 4-3 win over Patrick Henry to open their first league series, Point Loma (11-6-1 overall) has put 21 innings of consecutive goose eggs on the scoreboard covering three full games including two more losses to the Patriots (3-0 and 5-0). And in a 3-0 non-league loss to University City, Phoenix Brant’s sixth-inning single was the team’s only hit. This left the Pointers  2-4-1 in their last six games (1-2 in league) as they entered a three-game league series with St. Augustine (13-7-1 overall) this week.

By contrast, the San Diego Padres just ended a 30-inning scoring drought of their own, so it can happen at all levels. Like the Padres, the Pointers are hampered by injuries.

Promising sophomore catcher Cole Williams was lost in the season opener. In March it was ace pitcher Matthew Garrison out with tendinitis. Next was starting infielder Branden Keeling with a broken bone in his hand and starting outfielder Kaden Williams was not suited up last week with a leg injury.

The Pointers’ streak ended at 24 innings with a 5-2 victory over St. Augustine on Monday, April 28. The teams met again on Tuesday and Thursday to complete their season series. The same three-game pattern will follow next week with Scripps Ranch and the week of May 12 with Cathedral Catholic to end the regular season.

While Point Loma has slipped in local coaches’ rankings, the MaxPreps computer system still holds the Pointers among CIF’s San Diego Section’s (San Diego and Imperial Counties) best teams, landing at No. 5 in both overall and San Diego County. Patrick Henry is No. 4, St. Augustine No. 7, and Cathedral Catholic No. 9 showing the strength of Western League competition.

In CIF’s San Diego Section, Brant stands second overall with a .698 slugging percentage, while Garrison and teammate Hunter Weller’s 0.00 earned run average is tops in the Western League. Druw Frost has a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage while playing first base and the outfield.

GIRLS SOFTBALL

The girls continue to have an excellent overall record (17-5-1) but also stand 1-2 in the Western League after posting a 2-3 record over their last five games.

Unlike baseball, league games in softball are not played as part of a series. To date, the Pointer girls defeated Academy of Our Lady of Peace 11-1 but dropped matches with Cathedral Catholic 13-4 and Patrick Henry 1-0. The losses ended a 10-game win streak.

The team’s first game against Christian and second game against Cathedral Catholic was played this week. The regular season closes after home games against Patrick Henry (May 8) and Christian (May 15) and a visit to the Academy of Our Lady of Peace (May 13).

The team continues its amazing hitting with a .331 batting average.