COSTA MESA – Vanguard baseball battled No. 7 Point Loma on Friday, and the Sea Lion offense powered its way to 17-8 and 14-3 victories at Dean Harvey Field.

The Lions trailed just 9-8 going into the eighth inning in game one, but Point Loma scored seven runs in the ninth to pull away.

Point Loma banged out 26 hits and three home runs over the two games. Vanguard's pitching issued 17 walks to aid the Point Loma cause.

Jake Entrekin homered in each game for the Sea Lions (9-4, 5-1 PacWest) and Noah Meffert went yard as well. 

The Lions collected 16 hits in game one with Tristan Gallegos leading the way with three. Fred Buckson and Josh Schleichardt both delivered their first home runs of the season off Sea Lion ace Ray Cebulski, finishing with two hits apiece. Noah Madole, Angel Perez and Evan Avitia also provided a pair of hits for the Lion offense.

But Branden Jackel held the Lion bats in check in game two, limiting VU to four hits. VU trailed 3-2 through three innings but a six-run Point Loma outburst in the fourth put the game out of reach.

VU fell to 7-5 and 3-3 in PacWest play.

What Happened?

Game 1 – No. 7 Point Loma 17, Vanguard 8

Vanguard responded to Point Loma's five-run second inning with five in the bottom half as Buckson slammed a three-run shot over the left field fence. Avitia and Gallegos also delivered run-scoring singles.

Leading 6-5 entering the third, the Lions allowed the Sea Lions to score in each of the next three innings. VU starter Spencer Edmondson struggled with his control as he allowed six walks with no strikeouts over 3.0 innings. He allowed a walk to load the bases in the third and gave up a run-scoring ground out to tie the score at 6-6.

Entrekin doubled to lead off the fourth to chase Edmondson from the game in favor of Mitch Hunter, who allowed consecutive run-scoring hits to Luke Reece and Meffert. Point Loma extended its lead to 9-6 in the fifth – helped by a failed pickoff attempt at first that enabled Matt Bernath to land on third. Aiden Arriaga's grounder scored Bernath.

The Lions added a run in the fourth on Schleichardt's first homer as a Lion, and another in the sixth as Jaxson Davis doubled home Gallegos. On the play, Perez attempted to score from first but was thrown out at home on a perfect 8-4-2 relay.

Despite falling behind 10-8 in the eighth on an Arriaga RBI single, the Lions looked to threaten but could not puncture the Sea Lion bullpen after pounding Cebulski for 12 hits and seven runs. Bobby Brown, Jack Bunnell and Michael Sarhatt surrendered just four hits and one run over the final 5.2 innings.

The Sea Lions put the game away in the ninth with seven runs, the first coming on Entrekin's homer to lead off the inning. 

Brown got the win with 1.2 scoreless innings to improve to 2-0, while Edmondson (2-1) took the loss. All six Lion hurlers gave up at least one run.

Game 2 – No. 7 Point Loma 14, Vanguard 3

Point Loma applied pressure on VU starter Jesus Barreto in the second with a leadoff walk and Meffert double putting a pair in scoring position.

The Lions, which committed eight errors over the two games, allowed Meffert and Reece to score on Bryson Hashimoto's single. A throwing error by the VU second baseman made Meffert's run unearned. Arriaga gave Point Loma a 3-0 lead on an RBI single to center.

Buckson had an exceptional afternoon at the plate for the Blue and Gold, finishing 4-for-8 with two runs scored and four RBI. He cashed in Avitia and Gallegos with an opposite field single to bring the Lions within 3-2 in the bottom half of the second.

But Point Loma's offense punched back in the fourth with a six spot. The first two batters got aboard, and VU summoned the bullpen with one out. Barreto's day ended with the right-hander allowing five runs (four earned), four hits and four walks in 3.1 innings.

Pablo Small and Jacob Cuculich could not stop the Sea Lion attack with the big blows an Owen May two-RBI double and Meffert three-run bomb.

Point Loma added three runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to go up 14-2. The Lions scored once in the seventh on Buckson's double and Madole's RBI single.

Jackel handcuffed the VU offense, yielding just two hits and striking out seven in 6.0 innings. The two runs he allowed were unearned. He improved to 2-1 with the win. Barreto took the loss to fall to 2-1.

What's Next?: The Lions head to San Diego to face Point Loma for another doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11:00 a.m.