FOREST GROVE, Ore. - Pacific Lutheran broke out the bats in a big way on Saturday, scoring 37 runs on 42 hits in sweeping a Northwest Conference baseball doubleheader from the host Pacific Boxers.

The Lutes put an emphatic end to a four-game losing streak, taking 19-5 and 18-8 victories to improve to 13-5 overall and 4-1 in the conference. With the defeats, the Boxers fall to 6-11 overall and 4-7 in the conference.

Dan Johansen led the Lutes in the opener with a 4-for-6 performance that included three doubles, four runs and three runs batted in as PLU cruised to the 19-5 victory.  The Lutes then rode a four-hit performance from Corey Moore in the nightcap as seven PLU players finished with two or more hits in the 18-8 rout.

The twinbill, however, was marred by an injury to Pacific starting pitcher Tyler Fransen, who was struck in the head by a line drive in the top of the third inning of the opener.  Fransen was transported to a Portland hospital where he will remain tonight for observation.

In the early going of the opener, it looked like the Boxers would engage the Lutes in a close battle.  The Boxers opened scoring in the first when Jeff Bethke reached on an error and scored on a Joey Pulito single.  The Boxers had one out in third when Fransen was in the side of the head.  The game was delayed for 30 minutes until paramedics could immobilize the Boxers' ace for transport.

The injury to Fransen took the steam out of the Boxers, and the Lutes capitalized by scoring five runs in the frame. Sammy Davis and Josh Takayoshi highlighted the inning with run-scoring singles.

PLU went to work again in the fifth, hanging seven runs on the Boxers.  Gates opened with a two-RBI double and Moore added a single that scored Gates. Jaron Iwakami added two more with his single to right field before Takayoshi and Johansen each came up with RBI singles to give the Lutes a 12-1 lead.  PLU tallied five more runs in the eighth on RBI singles from Johnasen and Ryan Aratani and a bases-clearing triple by Shively, and two more in the ninth on singles by Gates and Elliott Shum.

Trey Watt pitched masterfully to improve to 4-0 on the season for the Lutes.  In seven innings, Watt allowed one unearned run on three hits and one walk with six strikeouts. Fransen (1-4) took the loss, allowing two unearned runs on two hits with one strikeout in 2 1/3 innings.  

The Lutes wasted little time in getting the bats going in the second game, scoring two runs in the top of the first on singles by Takayoshi and Aratani.  They added one run in the second before the Boxers took one back in the home half of the second.

PLU went up 4-1 in the top of the third when a throwing error on Ethan Ottemiller's fielder's choice allowed Gates to score, but the Boxers scored two in the third and another in the fourth on the first of Nate Rasmussen's two homers.

The Lutes responded with four runs in the fifth.  Shively accounted for the first two when his single scored Moore and Gates while Davis scored the other two on a double that plated Shively and Ottemiller.  The Lutes added two more in the sixth on Moore's two-run shot to right, but Rasmussen responded with his second homer of the game, a two-run clout to right, that kept the Boxers within range at 10-6.

PLU stuck the dagger in the seventh when they went off for six runs, all coming with two outs and no runners on base.  Johansen, Aratani and Gates all collectged RBI singles, and Ottemiller punctuated the frame with a bases-clearing triple to right field. Pacific added one run each in the eighth and ninth innings while the Lutes added two more tallies in the ninth.

Robert Bleecker improved to 3-1 on the season with the victory, allowing seven runs on 10 hits with two walks and five strikeouts in eight innings. Lloyd (1-1) took his first loss of the year, allowing 10 runs, nine earned, on 14 hits with two walks and three strikeouts in six innings of work.  Moore's four hits led PLU, while Davis, Aratani, Gates and Brock each had three hits.

The Boxers and Lutes will finish their three-game series on Sunday.  First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. 

(Courtesy of Pacific Sports Information Office.)