OAKLAND, Calif. — Contained for most of the evening, Point Loma capitalized on two big innings – one in each game – to earn a Pacific West Conference doubleheader sweep over the Academy of Art University baseball team Friday at Laney College, 9-3 and 10-1.
 
The Sea Lions (18-7, 6-4 PacWest) scored 11 of their 19 runs on the night in two separate innings. A four-run fourth in game one put them up for good and a seven-spot in game two helped open up a 2-0 game to a 9-0 advantage. PLNU's pitching also carried the night with both starting pitchers getting victories with quality starts. Eric Pierce went six innings and allowed three runs in game one and Kevin Lillicrop threw a complete game with eight strikeouts in the ninth.
 
Junior centerfielder Joseph Marchini was 3-for-8 for Academy of Art (5-18, 3-7 PacWest) with hits in both games while driving in two and scoring a run. He hit his third triple of the season in game two, tying the ART U single season record. Junior left fielder Greg Ivory and senior catcher/designated hitter James Singzon also had hits in both games as the Urban Knights' 1-2-3 hitters had seven base hits and three RBIs.
 
GAME ONE
 
The opener was an even match through the first three innings. Senior catcher Chucky Cavestany threw out two would-be PLNU base stealers for the Urban Knights and stranded two Sea Lions in scoring position while Point Loma didn't allow an ART U runner past first base.
 
PLNU finally broke the scoreless tie in the fourth inning with four runs on five base hits. They batted around in the inning and at one point had four straight hitters reach base. The Sea Lions also took advantage of two walks in the inning, including a bases-loaded walk to Preston Sands that scored the rally's second run.
 
Academy of Art came right back in the bottom of the fifth and cut the lead in half with two runs of its own. Two free passes with one out and a bunt single by sophomore right fielder Daniel Gutierrez loaded the bases for Marchini, who shot a bouncing single up the middle to bring in two runs and make it 4-2.
 
The teams traded runs in the sixth inning with PLNU getting an RBI triple from Tyler Baker and ART U scoring on an RBI single from junior third baseman Brett Adami, making it 5-3. PLNU would hold the Urban Knights there and score two insurance runs in both the eighth and ninth innings to earn the win.
 
ART U starter Maclane Brady (2-4) went 7 1/3 innings in the loss, giving up seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits and four walks while striking out one. Mickey Dunleavy and Garrett Gooding threw three scoreless innings in relief for PLNU.
 
Four different PLNU hitters had multi-hit games, led by Anthony Torres' 3-for-4 performance with an RBI and three runs scored. The Sea Lions had 14 hits in the game to ART U's nine.
 
GAME TWO
 
The nightcap was another close matchup in the early goings, with PLNU only holding a 2-0 lead through the first four innings after getting two runs in the first thanks to two one-out walks.
 
But the Sea Lions' second big inning of the night decided the game once again. Point Loma batted around again in the fifth inning of game two, scoring seven runs on five hits and two walks while also taking advantage of two ART U errors to make it 9-0. Devin Carter's two-RBI double was the biggest hit of the inning and made the score 6-0 before PLNU scored three more runs.
 
Ryan Garcia led Point Loma offensively going 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored. Six different Sea Lions drove in runs and seven had at least one hit.
 
Lillicrop held Academy of Art scoreless for eight innings and only gave up three hits until the ninth inning. Marchini's leadoff triple led to the Urban Knights breaking the shutout on an Ivory RBI groundout. Singzon got a one-out single to extend the rally but the game ended on a double play.
 
Freshman Nick Del Rosario and senior Nick Giotta combined to throw 4 2/3 innings of relief without allowing an earned run. They allowed just one hit and struck out a total of six to hold PLNU after its big rally.
 
The series concludes Saturday with another doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.