ANTHEM, Ariz. - Pacific Lutheran was looking for a strong start to the 2011 baseball season, but Concordia (Texas) scored nine runs in the final four innings to take a 13-5 victory over the Lutes at the Arizona Desert Classic on Thursday afternoon.

Concordia improved its record to 2-1 this season with a 17-hit attack against four different PLU pitchers. Colton Gommert collected three hits and drove in five runs from his leadoff position. C.J. Riojas, a defensive replacement at second base, ended up going 3-for-3 with four RBI, including a three-run triple in a four-run top of the ninth inning. Gerry Morrison gave up two hits and a run in three innings of relief work to pick up the victory for the Tornados.

Dan Johansen, a second team all-conference outfielder for the Lutes last season, got the pitching start and went five innings. He allowed four runs on eight hits and struck out five, and turned a 5-4 lead over to the bullpen. Nic Delikat, Ryan Frost and Scott McGallian also pitched for the Lutes, with Delikat taking the loss. The final three pitchers struggled, combining to allow nine runs and 10 hits in four innings.

Corey Moore and Jacob Hoffman were the only Lutes with more than one hit. Moore, a junior second baseman, finished 3-for-5 with a double and two runs batted in. Moore's two-run single drove in PLU's first two runs in the second inning. Hoffman had a pair of singles. The Lutes later scored three runs on just one hit in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-4 lead, but they did not score after that. PLU finished the game with nine hits, but eight were singles.

PLU continues its appearance at the Arizona Desert Classic at 9 a.m. (Central Time) Friday when it faces the Cal Lutheran Kingsmen.

- PLU -