With picturesque views of the Pacific beckoning beyond its outfield fences in San Diego, some refer to Point Loma’s Carroll B. Land Stadium as “America’s Most Scenic Ballpark.”
UH-Hilo’s Phillip Steering wouldn’t disagree at all. He’s loving the view.
The Sea Lions might just want to put up four fingers and walk Steering during Monday’s doubleheader, because the junior slugger is white-hot.
Steering is hitting a scalding .451 entering play Monday, and he hit three balls out of “America’s Most Scenic Ballpark” Saturday as the Vulcans (8-17, 8-15 PacWest) and Point Loma split a doubleheader.
The dramatics came in the first game, as Steering hit a two-run home run in the first inning and a grand slam in the ninth to lead UHH to six-run rally for an 8-7 win.
Steering also hit a homer in the nightcap, but the Sea Lions bounced back to win the second game 6-3.
The Vulcans’ ninth-inning comeback started when Edwin Stanberry drew a leadoff walk and was pinch ran for by Byron Freitas, who stole second and scored on Jonathan Segovia’s single with one out. After a walk and a hit batter, the Sea Lions couldn’t walk Steering, and the first baseman blasted a ball over the left field wall to tie the game.
Cole Nagamine (2 for 5) and Jacob Grijalva (2 for 5) followed with singles, a walk to Austin Forney loaded the bases, and Freitas hit a sacrifice to give UH-Hilo the lead, which Eric Vega was able to hold after being summoned with with on and one out in the bottom half of the inning for his first save.
Cole Nakachi (1-0) came on for Dylan Spain to start the sixth and worked three innings to get credit for the victory, yielding two runs on two hits and four walks.
After a six-RBI game, Steering hit a solo home run, his sixth of the season and fourth in four games, in the fourth to the second game 1-1. He drew two walks in the game and struck out in the eighth, going 1 for 2.
Reliever Thomas Warren fell to 0-4 after coming on in the fifth of a tie game and allowing Kellen Sheppard’s two-run double. Drew Ichikawa started and pitched four innings
Forney was 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored.
Sheppard was 4 for 4 for Point Loma (21-13, 13-9).
