FOREST GROVE - Pacific Lutheran had an answer for every
offensive thrust that the Pacific Boxers threw at them on Sunday as
the Lutes finished off a Northwest Conference baseball series sweep
with a 15-9 win at Chuck Bafaro Stadium.
In taking the three-game series, the Lutes scored 52 runs and
collected 63 hits.
The Lutes (14-5, 5-1 NWC) matched a 3-0 Pacific lead after three
innings with 10 runs scored over the next three innings. The Boxers
(6-12, 4-8 NWC) rallied to come within 10-9 thanks to a five-run
eighth, only to watch the Lutes score five of their own in the
ninth to seal the win.
Dan Johansen led the 21-hit PLU offense by going 3-for-6 with three
RBIs and three runs scored. Brock Gates and Jaron Iwakami also had
three hits apiece while three other PLU players had two hits
each.
Unlike the opening two games of the series, Pacific built an
early 3-0 lead, capped by Nate Rasmussen's third homer of the
series.
The Lutes got to Pacific starter Jeff Bethke to start their rally.
Brock Gates put two on the board in the fourth with his
seventh home run of the season and Sammy Davis drove in another the
hard way when he was hit with the bases loaded. Johansen
added one in the fifth when he doubled to lead off the frame and
scored on a double by Ryan Aratani.
The Boxers saw a golden chance to tie it in the bottom of the fifth
fade quickly away. Scott Rowland singled to open the frame
and moved to third on a long double to right by Pulito.
Brandon Kon followed with a high fly ball that looked as if
it would score Rowland, but an on-target throw by PLU center
fielder Ryan Aratani beat Rowland to the plate, effectively killing
the rally.
Pacific Lutheran then posted another big inning, scoring six runs
in the sixth. Iwakami and Davis led off with singles and both
scored on a single to left by Johansen. Gates followed two
batters later with a double that plated Johansen and scored himself
on a single by Moore. Ben Shively singled to left to bring
Moore around to score and Iwakami closed the frame with his second
single of the inning that scored Ethan Ottemiller.
Pacific rallied to score one in the seventh and then put together a
big inning of its own, scoring five in the eighth to cut its
deficit to 10-9.
Just when the Boxers thought they would be in striking distance of
the victory, PLU came out and hung another five runs on the
scoreboard in the ninth. Johansen started scoring with his third
hit of the game, a single that scored Davis. Aratani followed
with a RBI double before Johansen himself scored on balk. Moore and
Shively closed the frame with RBI singles through the left
side.
The Boxers once again had the bases loaded in the ninth when PLU
reliever Ryan Frost coaxed Logan Moen into a double play that ended
the game.
Scott Wall earned the win for PLU and improved to 4-0 on the
season, allowing eight runs, three earned, on nine hits with a walk
and four strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings of work. Bethke
fell to 2-2 with the loss for Pacific, allowing eight runs on 12
hits with four walks and seven strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work.
- PLU -
