If one of the greatest attractions of sports is the emotional roller-coaster fans can experience as their team’s fortunes rise and fall, then followers of Point Loma High School (PLHS) baseball must feel like they’ve taken an exhausting ride on the famed Big Dipper in Mission Beach. Visions of a league co-championship taunted the locals recently before likely vaporizing during a bizarre three-game portion of the Western League schedule. The Pointers entered a crucial showdown of unbeaten league squads in a two-game series against Cathedral Catholic. In the first game, played at the Dons’ Del Mar Heights campus, the home team jumped out to a 6-0 lead (two runs unearned) over the first three innings against starter Kellen Urbon. The Dogs came back to score three times in the fifth and sixth innings, but came up short, 6-3. The Dons outhit the Pointers 10-7, recording two doubles and a home run. Urbon struck out six and did not issue a walk as his team fell to 6-1 in league. In the return match on home soil, it was a different Pointer team that showed up. With Campbell Wear on the hill, the Dogs fell behind 2-0 after two innings, but surged back to take a 7-2 lead after five. Urbon (double, two RBI), Justin Baker (triple, RBI), Max Sorenson (2 RBI) and Tyler Majofis (RBI) punished the Dons, who committed four errors. Sergio Guerra’s opposite-field home run sent the sizable home crowd into a frenzy as the Pointers withstood a furious seventh inning comeback by the Dons to escape with a 7-6 decision and deal the visitors their first league loss. Visions of a shared league title began to materialize. But, like a roller coaster cresting a hill, a plunge soon followed. Madison, the next league foe for the Pointers, showed up at David Wells Field on May 5 with an 8-16 overall record (5-5 in league). Despite only recording three hits off Urbon (one walk, seven strikeouts), Madison used a pair of Dog errors to escape with a 2-1 win. The Pointers managed six hits and had only three strikeouts but were induced into repeated fly ball and infield outs. The loss likely ended the Pointers’ hopes of a league co-championship. Ironically, the Pointers clobbered the Warhawks 12-3 in the return match at Madison. Pounding 18 hits that included five doubles, a triple and home run (Wear), the Dogs put up at least one run in all but the final inning. Max Sorenson was the pitcher benefiting from the hit parade. With only a pair of games against University City left on the league schedule, the Pointers (14-11 overall, 8-2 in league) now must win out and hope the Dons (24-4 overall, 9-1 in league) stumble in their final pair against Coronado. The Pointers will get a chance to prove themselves again in upcoming CIF playoffs. Pairings will be determined this weekend after regular season play ends. Unlike other sports, baseball playoffs are double elimination.
