PARKLAND – Pacific Lutheran pulled out a pair of pitchers' duel victories Saturday afternoon, sweeping Pacific 3-1 and 1-0 in a Northwest Conference doubleheader at PLU Field.

With the wins, Pacific Lutheran improves its season record to 24-14 overall and 15-8 in the NWC. Pacific falls to 11-23 overall and 4-19 in conference play. The teams will conclude the three-game series Sunday, with first pitch set for 12 p.m.

The two games took a combined 3:51, as the teams combined for only five runs on 23 hits between the contests. Trevor Lubking picked up the complete-game victory in the opener for the Lutes, limiting Pacific to a first-inning run on five hits with eight strikeouts and no walks.

The NCAA Div. III national leader in strikeouts pushed his season total to 111, extending his own PLU program record in the category as he picked up his sixth win of the year. Nathan Suyematsu took the loss for Pacific, giving up one earned run in 6.2 innings pitched.

Suyematsu scored the first run of the day, as the PU starting pitcher led off the game with a double and scored on a single by Ben Duerr. That proved to be Lubking's only blemish on the day, as he limited the Boxers to three hits over the next eight innings.

The Lutes tied it up in the bottom of the third. Nicholas Hall led off with a single and stole second before coming in to score on a single by Shawn Abe. The game remained tied until the seventh, when the Lutes took advantage of a Pacific error to score two runs. Curtis Wildung led off with a walk and Hall reached on an error while sacrificing Wildung to second. Alec Beal loaded the bases on a fielder's choice as Wildung beat the throw to third.

One out later, Collin Nilson lifted a high fly ball into foul territory next to left field, and it served as a sacrifice fly to break the tie. Drew Oord followed with an RBI single to center, and the Lutes had the runs they needed to claim the win.

Chris Bishop picked up the win for the Lutes in the second game, shutting out Pacific in seven innings while allowing five hits and three walks with six strikeouts. Colin McCusker took the tough-luck loss, allowing only one unearned run on four hits in eight strong innings as he pitched the complete game. AJ Konopaski pitched the final two innings for the Lutes, allowing one hit and one walk while earning his NCAA Div. III-leading and PLU-record 13th save of the season.

The Lutes' lone run of the game came in the bottom of the fourth. Nilson opened the frame with a double – PLU's first hit of the game against McCusker. Oord sacrificed Nilson to third, but the throw sailed past the first baseman and allowed Nilson to score what proved to be the deciding run of the contest.

Kory Vanderstaay finished with two hits in the first game, while Nilson and Oord each had a hit in both contests, as did Welch and Hall. Hall scored two of the Lutes' four runs on the day and also made a spectacular diving catch to open the top of the eighth in the first game. Both Hall and fellow senior Beal will be honored Sunday in a pregame Senior Day ceremony.