Baseball team notches first win The 2013 baseball season has returned. The Point Loma Sea Lions have already played six games on the young season, with their only win coming against Cal State Dominguez Hills. PLNU lost a heartbreaker at UC San Diego on Feb. 12 when Danny Susdorf scored on a throwing error in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift No. 21 UC San Diego to a 6-5 win over PLNU. Women’s hoops rolling The PLNU women’s basketball team is in its hottest stretch of the year, winning five straight games and seven of its last eight. It has been the play of the guards that has propelled the team on this streak. Savannah Erskine, Jessica Escorza, Carlotta Kloppenburg and Callie Rhoads have combined to fuel the team on both offense and defense. The Sea Lions have held opponents to just 59.6 points per game while getting 12.6 steals over the last eight games. On offense, the Sea Lions have increased their scoring average by nearly 20 points per game (77.3 points per game) as they are connecting on 8.4 treys per game. PLNU is in a race with California Baptist, Azusa Pacific and Hope International over seeding in the upcoming NCCAA West Regional. Women’s golf places fourth in championship The Point Loma women’s golf team made the most of its home tournament by placing fourth at the PLNU Super San Diego Championships on Feb. 12. The Sea Lions were led by Andrea Mersino, who tied for fourth with a 9-over, 153 on the par-72 Riverwalk Golf Course. The PLNU women’s golf team dropped six strokes from its first round score to register a 319 (+31) and finish with a 68-over 644. Mersino had an outstanding final round. She posted a 2-over, 74 to knock five strokes off her first-round score. She finished just one stroke out of third place. Kathleen Crossley came in second for Point Loma with a 160 (+16). She registered 80s (+8) in both rounds to place 16th in the tournament field. Alyssa Orito and Macy Douglas came through for PLNU with qualifying scores of 81 and 84, respectively. Orito finished the tournament with a 167 (+23) and Douglas with a 169 (+25). Samantha Stockton had the third-lowest score for Point Loma in the tournament with a 166 (+22). Cal State San Marcos won the team competition. It shaved six strokes from its first-round score to leapfrog Grand Canyon and Sonoma State, and go from third to first. Megan Woodland of the University of Victoria won the individual competition with a 5-over 149. She shot a 70 (-2) in the opening round and a 79 (+7). Donnelly to leave PLNU to pursue master’s Lindsy Donnelly has resigned her position as the head athletic trainer in the Point Loma Nazarene University Athletic Department to pursue her master’s degree of kinesiology-athletic training at the University of Virginia. Donnelly has been at Point Loma since 2002, first as a student, then part-time staff, before taking on her role as head athletic trainer. Donnelly graduated from PLNU in 2006, and after working in the fall for Point Loma High School returned to PLNU in the spring of 2007 to join the athletic training staff as a part-time assistant. She was named head athletic trainer in 2010. She also works as adjunct faculty with the kinesiology department. “Point Loma has become like a second family,” said Donnelly. “It has always been a very welcoming place for me.” Donnelly will remain at PLNU until May 24, and begin her time in Virginia in June. “We are deeply appreciative to Lindsy for her service to all those within the campus community and athletic department,” said PLNU athletic director Ethan Hamilton. “She has done an amazing job, and we are very thankful for the foundation she has helped build.” While Donnelly will leave a place she has been for over 10 years, she knows there is an excellent opportunity awaiting her in Virginia. The master’s program at UVA focuses on research, which attracted Donnelly to the program. It is also an accelerated program, which will allow Donnelly to earn her degree in just 13 months. “I want to go to continue to expand my knowledge and become a more dynamic professional,” said Donnelly. “This program gives me the opportunity to learn from different individuals outside of PLNU. In order to improve I need to go beyond my comfort zone. Right now, I just want to see where life and God take me.”