SAN DIEGO, Calif.—Phillip Steering hit a two-run home run in the first inning and a grand slam in the ninth to lead Hawai`i Hilo to a stunning come-from-behind upset of Point Loma in the first game of a Saturday afternoon doubleheader at Carroll B. Land Stadium, 8-7.
Steering also hit a homer in the nightcap, but the Sea Lions bounced back to win the second game, 6-3. UH Hilo is now 8-18 on the season and 8-16 in the Pacific West Conference. Point Loma moved to 21-13 overall and is 13-9 in conference play.
Point Loma trailed only once all day, and it was after UHH's six-run rally in the top of the ninth.
Steering, who came into the game leading the PacWest in hitting with a .442 average, got things jump started for the visitors with a two-run shot over the right centerfield fence at "America's Most Scenic Ballpark."
Kyle Yamada had singled before him to account for the other run.
But the Sea Lions came right back in the bottom half of the inning, rifling five hits, including a three-run shot by Ryan Garcia to take a 3-2 lead. PLNU would add another pair of runs in the third inning on another Garcia homer, and would add insurance runs in the sixth and eighth innings on solo home runs by Wyatt Champlin to go into the ninth with a 7-2 lead.
It would turn out to not be enough insurance.
With one out,
Jonathan Segovia singled home a run to make it 7-3. After a walk and a hit batter, up to the plate came Steering again, with no place to put him. The junior first baseman launched a shot on to the putting green just past the left field wall, tying the game with one swing of the bat.
Cole Nagamine followed with a single, as did
Jacob Grijalva. After a walk by
Austin Forney,
Byron Freitas lifted a fly to center field that was deep enough to bring home Nagamine to make it 8-7.
In the ninth,
Devan Elson came on in relief of
Cole Nakachi, getting one out but also walking a batter. UHH Coach
Kallen Miyataki then brought
Eric Vega out of the bullpen into the closer's spot for the first time this year. Vega fanned the only batter he faced and then got help as the Sea Lion runner was picked off first on the same play.
Nikachi got the win with three innings of relief work and Vega got his first save. Steering had two hits and six RBI in the game, and was joined in the hit parade with two each by Nagamine and Grijalva.
In the second game, Champlin hit his third homer of the day to get PLNU on the board first in the second, another solo shot. Steering answered with his third round-tripper of the afternoon in the fourth to tie the game (1-1).
The Sea Lions would take the lead back in the fourth with a run, but UHH would answer in the top of the fifth with Yamada's RBI single. Kellen Sheppard put the hosts up by two with a double in the bottom half of the inning, and then Point Loma would add single runs in the sixth and seventh to take a 6-2 margin into the ninth.
UHH would rally again, but not enough this time to get back into the game. They scored an unearned run to account for the final tally of 6-3.
Steering was 1-for-2 in the second game, and was walked twice. He finished with seven RBI on the day. Forney had two of UHH's seven hits in the second game. Sheppard was 4-for-4 for the Sea Lions in game two.
These two teams will take a day off and then return to action on Monday with a doubleheader that will start at noon PDT.
