TACOMA - Pacific Lutheran finished its four-game series sweep of the Puget Sound Loggers on Wednesday with 7-0 and 8-0 victories in Northwest Conference softball action.
With the wins, the Lutes improve to 21-11 overall and 14-6 in the conference, four games behind NWC-leading Linfield. Puget Sound remains winless and is now 0-31 overall and 0-20 in conference play.
Game One - PLU 7, Puget Sound 0
The Lutes collected 13 hits and rode the complete-game pitching of Leah Butters to the victory. Butters, a sophomore from Portland, Ore., allowed four hits and one walk while striking out two. She improved her season record to 5-2.
Haley Harshaw and Spencer Sherwin both had two hits and Kaaren Hatlen drove in three runs to pace the Lutes. Hatlen hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning and a two-run triple down the right field line in the third. Glenelle Nitta hit her second home run against the Loggers in as many days, this one a solo shot in the second inning. Head coach Erin Van Nostrand was able to give at bats to most of her bench, and five out of the eight pinch hitters responded with hits.
Game Two - PLU 8, Puget Sound 0 (6 innings)
The Lutes added 11 more hits in this game, including a combined 7-for-12 by the two through four spots in the batting order. Melissa Harrelson was 3-for-4 with two runs scored an a RBI, Amanda Hall was 2-for-4 with a run and RBI, and Hatlen was 2-for-4 with a homer, run scored and three RBI. The senior first team All-American finished the doubleheader with six runs batted in.
Hall collected a run-scoring double in the first and Hatlen added a home run to get the Lutes going. A three-run fourth inning including RBI base hits by Sherwin and Harrelson and Hatlen finished PLU's scoring with a two-run single in the sixth inning.
In the pitcher's circle, Hatlen allowed four hits while walking one and striking out four. Kelsey Robinson did mop up duty, allowing one hit in one inning of work.
Pacific Lutheran is back in action this weekend with two more conference doubleheaders, both starting at noon. Lewis & Clark is in town on Saturday and Pacific comes to Parkland on Sunday. PLU split doubleheaders with both teams in Oregon the first time through the conference schedule.
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