In a remarkably ironic situation, the No. 3 seed Point Loma High boys lacrosse team fell just short of a CIF Div. II championship when they could not net the tying goal in a hard-fought 6-5 loss to No. 1 seed Francis Parker.

The irony stemmed from the fact Francis Parker was the only team to defeat the Pointers all season. The teams met on March 1 at Pete Ross Stadium in the third game of the season, the Lancers edging the Pointers by the exact same score.

Following that game, the Pointers went on a 15-0 run, going undefeated to win the Eastern League title. After a first-round bye, they defeated No. 6 Pacific Ridge 15-5 and No. 7 Rancho Bernardo 6-5 to set up a May 20 championship match with those same Lancers, this time on neutral Del Norte High School’s field.

Entering the showdown, the Pointers had outscored every team on their schedule by a wide 234-50 margin, but when the final seconds evaporated, the Lancers had won by exactly the same score as that March 1 match.

In the title game, the Pointers took a 2-1 lead after one period on goals first by Ian Kinkade and later by Eli Hale in the final minute. But the Lancers scored to tie the game and the Pointers never regained the lead.

From that point, the remaining three goals were scored by junior Brady Allen for the hat trick. Also a first-team all-league football player for the Pointers, Allen repeatedly rushed the Lancer defense from the right side and ripped shots at Parker’s goalkeeper.

Further frustrating the Pointers, the Lancers killed off the game’s final minutes by passing the ball between players, keeping it from the Pointers, and not allowing a tying goal attempt.

SOFTBALL

Seeded No. 4 in Div. III, the Pointers earned a first-round bye. They were outscored 10-8 by No. 12 Escondido Charter in a first-round game but went on to edge No. 9 Sage Creek 5-4 to remain alive in the double-elimination tournament.

Next up, was a rematch with Escondido Charter, and this time it was the Pointers pounding 11 hits and coming out on top 8-5, sending them on to a difficult fourth-round game with No. 1 Imperial at the home of the Tigers 119 miles away.

After the long drive, the girls were eliminated 8-1 by the home team. The Tigers went on to capture the CIF championship with a 3-2 win over Christian High.

BASEBALL

The Pointers received a No. 5 seed in Div. I requiring them to meet No. 12 Canyon Crest Academy in a “play-in” game to enter the tournament. After pounding the Ravens 11-0 in a March 2 meeting, the Pointers again shut them out 12-0 on the strength of 12 hits including triples by Frankie Giacalone and Kian Barker and a home run by Jarrett Judd.

A 5-3 loss to No. 4 San Marcos put the team on the brink of elimination before a pair of spirited wins carried them to the fourth round.

Most inspiring was a 4-0 home-field win over No. 9 Bonita Vista. In that game, sophomore pitcher Matty Garrison pitched a complete game, scattering six hits, walking two, and striking out five, needing 92 pitches for the win.

Next, the Pointers saw San Marcos again but this time they turned the tables in a 4-0 third-round win,  The Pointers had nine hits including a double by Tobin Orzel. Barker had two singles, driving in three runs. The reward for the win was a trip to face No. 1 seed Santana High in a fourth-round game.

The Sultans came into the game with a record of 18-10 and a strategy of playing the “small game,” getting on base, using bunts, running, and stealing bases to put pressure on their opponents’ defense. The strategy worked well as the Sultans, with only two hits, out-dueled the Pointers 3-1.

Six walks and two hit batters by Pointer pitchers gave Santana the baserunners they needed and three Pointer errors contributed to the Sultan runs, only one of which was earned.

Santana days later defeated Patrick Henry 8-0 for the CIF championship.