CLAREMONT, Calif. – A pitchers' duel early turned into a blowout late as Pacific Lutheran scored five runs in the top of the ninth inning to pull away to an 8-1 nonconference baseball victory over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Friday afternoon at Arce Field.

Derrick Mahlum improved to 3-1 this season with seven innings of one-run ball. AJ Konopaski came in to a 3-1 game in the bottom of the eighth and pitched the final two innings to earn his NCAA Div. III-leading 10th save of the season. He is now one save away from tying Aaron Roetcisoender's team record of 11, set in 2004.

Four Lutes finished with multiple hits as PLU totaled 12 hits in the game. Tyler Thompson finished 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and one run batted in. Alec Beal went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored, while Drew Oord and Kory Vanderstaay each tallied a pair of hits. Collin Nilson, Curtis Wildung and Tanner Bogart also doubled as the Lutes totaled five doubles.

The Lutes opened the scoring in the top of the third, as Bogart began the frame with a double down the right field line, advanced to third on a bunt single and scored on a suicide squeeze by Ben Welch. The Stags tied it up in the bottom of the fourth, as Scott Witte walked and came in to score on a single by Evan Opperman.

The game remained tied at 1-1 until the top of the seventh, when PLU used three hits and a CMS error to score two runs. Beal knocked a one-out double and Thompson brought him home with a two-out single through the left side. Oord singled to put two on with two out, and an error by the Stags' third baseman allowed the Thompson to score and make it 3-1.

Konopaski came into the game at the beginning of the eighth, allowing a leadoff single and a walk before stranding both runners. Then the Lutes made it much easier on their closer going into the final frame by adding five runs to the board in the top of the ninth.

Welch began the rally by reaching on a CMS error and stealing second. Thompson was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second with one out, and Oord singled through the right side to bring Welch home and put runners at the corners. Nilson followed with an RBI double and advanced to third on a passed ball that brought in PLU's third run of the inning. Wildung walked, and Shawn Abe drove in Nilson with a groundout to third. Vanderstaay capped the inning with an RBI single to bring in Wildung and make it 8-1.

Chad Hadzinsky pitched 6.2 innings and allowed two earned runs on eight hits to take the loss. Samuel Woodman pitched the final 2.1 innings, allowing four hits and five runs, with only one earned. The Lutes improved to 14-9 this season with the win, while Claremont-Mudd-Scripps fell to 8-17. The Lutes wrap up their spring break California trip with one more game against the Stags on Saturday, with first pitch set for 12 p.m.