LACEY - Kipp Godfrey picked up his first collegiate pitching victory Wednesday, limiting host Saint Martin's to five hits in six innings of work to lead Pacific Lutheran to a 5-1 non-conference baseball win at Regional Athletic Complex.
With the victory, the Lutes moved above the .500 mark for the first time this season at 12-11. The Saints, who earlier this year defeated the Lutes in Parkland, are now 17-14.
Godfrey, a left-handed freshman out of Corvallis, Ore., improved his record to 1-1 in only his second start this season. He came out of the game after six innings, the only blemish being a Travis Jones home run in the bottom of the sixth. Besides allowing the five hits, he struck out four and walked two. Bret Handy pitched two scoreless innings and Scott McGallian finished it off with another clean frame in the ninth.
The Lutes took advantage of Saint Martin's largesse to score their first three runs. In the first inning, Jacob Hoffman and Corey Moore worked Saint Martin's starter Terry Sanders for walks, and Hoffman eventually scored when Jones misplayed a pickoff attempt by Sanders at first base. In the fourth, Ryan Aratani led off with a single, went to second on a passed ball, to third on Ryan Frost's infield single, and then scored on another passed ball.
PLU made it 3-0 in the sixth when Dan Johansen was hit by a pitch, moved up a base on another passed ball, and then took third on Frost's sacrifice bunt. Pinch runner Jacob Olsufka then scored on a sacrifice fly by Alec Beal.
After Jones hit his homer to make it 3-1, the Lutes added runs in the seventh and ninth innings. With one out, Hoffman was hit by a pitch, moved up on Moore's sacrifice bunt, took third on yet another Saints passed ball, and then scored on a single by Brock Gates. In the ninth, Dominick Courcy beat out a two-out infield single, stole second, and then came in on Frost's single.
The Lutes finished the game with nine hits, including three by Frost, against four Saints hurlers. They also made the most of two hit batters, seven walks and four passed balls. Saint Martin's ended up with eight hits.
PLU returns to Northwest Conference action this weekend, playing a three-game series at Whitworth. The teams play a doubleheader starting at noon on Saturday and a single nine-inning game on Sunday.
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