PARKLAND - Trevor Lubking limited No. 2-ranked Linfield to six hits in a complete-game effort as Pacific Lutheran defeated the visiting Wildcats, 3-1, in the final game of a Northwest Conference baseball series played on a cold, damp Sunday afternoon.

Lubking, a sophomore left-hander from nearby Buckley, did not allow a hit until there were two outs in the sixth inning, and in the final frame he worked out of a bases loaded jam by getting the game's final out on a fly ball to left field.

He improved his season record to 7-1 and at the same time ended PLU's six-game conference losing streak. The Lutes are now 16-11 overall and 7-8 in the conference, while Linfield falls to 22-5 overall and 15-3 in the NWC, two games in the win column ahead of second-place George Fox.

"Trevor proved today why he is one of the very best pitchers in the conference," PLU head coach Geoff Loomis said of the ace lefty who lowered his earned run average to 1.82.

Though Lubking retired the side in order in only one inning, that being the fourth, he made big pitches when he needed to. He recorded one of his nine strikeouts with a runner on third to end the first, got a strikeout and fielder's choice ground ball to end a potential threat in the fifth, and struck out Jordan Harlow with a runner on second for the final out of the sixth.

While Lubking was keeping the explosive Linfield offense off of the scoreboard, his teammates were scoring single tallies in the second, third and fourth innings against Linfield starter and loser Zach Brandon, now 4-2 for the season.

Curtis Wildung got the Lutes on the board in the bottom of the second with a solo homer down the right field line. An inning later, Garrett Brown led off with a single through the left side of the infield, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Nicholas Hall, took third on Daniel Altchech's base hit, and then scored when Carson McCord beat a potential double-play throw to first base.

Pacific Lutheran's final run came in the fourth inning and again Brown, the ninth hitter in the lineup, played a key role. With two out Alec Beal drew a walk and Clay Trushinsky hit a single to left. Brown followed with a bloop single just over the head of Linfield first baseman Kyle Chamberlain, driving in Beal and making the score 3-0.

After that the Lutes got only three more base runners, but as it turned out Lubking was up to the task.

Linfield finally broke through for its only run in the seventh when Clayton Truex led off with a single and moved up on Chamberlain's sacrifice bunt. Kenny Johnson hit a single to right field to drive in Truex, but Johnson was gunned down at second base trying to advance on the throw. Moments later Linfield speedster Tim Wilson hit a single and stole his second base of the game and 16th of the season, but he was left there when Lubking coaxed an inning-ending fly out from Corey VanDomelen.

An inning later and with Nick Fisher on second after a steal, Lubking struck out Harlow for the third time to end that potential threat.

Still, Linfield had one more bit of mischief for Lubking. With one out in the ninth, Chamberlain reached on an infield single, and after Lubking struck out Johnson, Wilson hit a single and VanDomelen drew a walk. With the bases loaded, two out and facing Linfield's No. 3 hitter, Lubking got Jake Wylie for the fifth time in the game, this time on a harmless game-ending fly ball to Altchech in left field.

"I had decided that it was Trevor's game and he would come out only if the score was tied," Loomis said of his decision to let Lubking finish. "There are times when you throw pitch count out the door. This was one of those performances."

Lubking ended up throwing a career-high 135 pitches. In addition to allowing the six hits he walked six and threw a wild pitch, but his nine strikeouts more than made up for the walks.

Offensively, the Lutes managed eight hits - including a team-best two by Brown - against Brandon and relief pitcher Justin Huckins. Wilson was the only Linfield player with more than one hit.

- PLU -