Box Score
ANTHEM, Ariz. - Brock Gates hit his fourth home run in the past
three games as Pacific Lutheran improved to 6-0 this season with a
10-4 baseball win over Whittier on Saturday's third day of the
Arizona Desert Classic.
Gates, a sophomore first baseman from Federal Way, hit his
fourth homer of the season in the eighth inning as the Lutes scored
in double figures for the fourth time in their six games.
The Lutes scored three runs in the first inning, including an
RBI double by Dan Johansen, and held a 5-2 lead through four
innings. The Poets scored single runs in the sixth and seventh to
cut their deficit to 5-4, but the Lutes tallied two in the seventh
and three more in the eighth to wrap up the victory.
Ryan Aratani was hit by a pitch and Gates hit a single to lead
off the seventh inning. Aratani came home on Ryan Frost's single
and Gates scored on Carl Benton's base hit. In the eighth, Johansen
was hit by a pitch and moved up on Josh Takayoshi's single.
Johansen eventually scored on a passed ball and Takayoshi rode home
on Gates' blast to right-centerfield.
Gates finished with three hits, two runs scored and two RBI in
four at-bats, while Johansen, Frost and Spencer Downs
all added a pair of hits to PLU's 12 total safeties.
Nathan Eisenhauer picked up the victory on the mound for PLU,
allowing three earned runs on four hits in 5 1/3 innings of work.
He struck out one and did not walk a batter. Alex Bodenhamer got
two outs in the sixth but got into some trouble in the seventh,
bringing Nic Delikat to the mound. Delikat earned his first save of
the season by giving up no runs on just two hits in three full
innings of work. He walked one batter and struck out two while
wrapping up Eisenhauer's first victory of the season.
PLU plays the University of La Verne at 2 p.m. Sunday in
its Arizona Desert Classic finale.
- PLU -
