PARKLAND - Max Beatty and Trevor Lubking had stellar starting pitching performances and Daniel Altchech made his first collegiate hit a big one as Pacific Lutheran swept Willamette, 1-0 and 4-3, in a Northwest Conference baseball doubleheader played Saturday at the PLU field.

In sweeping the Bearcats in what was the conference-opening doubleheader for both teams, Pacific Lutheran improves to 9-3 overall. Willamette's overall record is now 4-7.

Beatty, the starter in the first game, allowed three hits, no walks and struck out five in eight innings to improve his season record to 3-1. AJ Konopaski struck out one batter in a 1-2-3 ninth inning to record his second save of the season.

Lubking, the second game starter, went seven innings and improved his season record to 3-0. He allowed two runs on six hits while walking one and striking out nine. Konopaski earned a six-out save, though he allowed five hits in getting there. He struck out three batters, the final two with the tying run on second base.

Altchech, a sophomore who had gone without a hit in 14 previous collegiate at bats over two seasons, hit a solo homer over the fence in left field in the bottom of the eighth inning to give PLU a 4-2 lead in the second game. That run proved to be vital as the Bearcats scored one in the top of the ninth before Konopaski got the two strikeouts to end the game.

Game One - PLU 1, Willamette 0

With Beatty overpowering the Willamette hitters, it took a double play ground out in the fourth inning to provide the game's only run.

Dominick Courcy led off with an infield single, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and then took third on Alec Beal's bunt single. Markus McClurkin hit into a double play, allowing Courcy to score what proved to be the game's only run.

Willamette pitcher Peter Hoffman was the hard-luck loser. In eight innings Hoffman allowed only four infield singles to the Lutes while walking no one and striking out three.

Game Two - PLU 4, Willamette 3

A pair of lefties - Lubking and Willamette starter Albert Garcia - exchanged zeros on the scoreboard until the Lutes scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Courcy led off the inning with a walk, and after an out, he advanced to third on a single into right field by Curtis Wildung. Both of those base runners scored when Carson McCord drilled a double to the gap in left-centerfield.

PLU added a run in the seventh when Garrett Brown led off with a double to left field and then moved up a base when Clay Trushinsky turned a perfect sacrifice bunt into a base hit. Nicholas Hall followed with a fly to center to score Brown.

After 16 consecutive scoreless innings, the Bearcats finally broke through in the top of the eighth. Tyson Giza and Matt Hirsch had back-to-back singles to open the frame, bringing Konopaski to the mound in relief of Lubking. Tosh Semlacher greeted Konopaski with a single through the left side, loading the bases with no outs.

Sky Kelley struck out on a high fastball for the first out, but Giza scored on a sacrifice fly by Hunter Gallant. Peter Davis then singled sharply to right field, driving in Hirsch with Willamette's second run. With the tying run perched at third, Trushinsky charged Brad Breier's slow roller down the third base line, fielded the ball and threw to first in one motion to nip Breier at first.

That's when Altchech provided his heroics and Pacific Lutheran's second home of the season.

Willamette had one last rally in the ninth. Brandon Chinn led off with a bunt single and he advanced to second on a throwing error. Austin Hagarty hit a single to move Chinn to third base, and he scored moments later on Giza's sacrifice fly. Hirsch followed with a single to move Hagarty into scoring position, but Konopaski struck out Semlacher and Kelley to end the game.

The Bearcats collected 11 hits, led by Giza, Hirsch, Semlacher and Hagarty with two apiece. Trushinky led PLU's seven-hit offense with a double and single.

The teams conclude their three-game conference series at noon on Sunday with a single nine-inning game.

- PLU -