DEMOREST, Ga. – It may not have been the prettiest of games with nine combined errors, but for Pacific Lutheran the final result was beautiful as the second-seeded Lutes scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to clinch a 9-6 comeback victory over fifth-seeded Emory in the NCAA Div. III South Regional Wednesday afternoon at Loudermilk Field.

Pacific Lutheran overcame deficits of 3-0, 5-3 and 6-5, in the win to improve to 31-12 this season while dropping 2014 NCAA Div. III national runner-up Emory to 26-13. The Lutes will play their second game of the tournament Thursday against the winner of Wednesday's game between third-seeded Birmingham-Southern and fourth-seeded Marietta. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST, 4 p.m. PST.

"Well, we didn't start the way we wanted, but it's very characteristic of our team to battle back," PLU head coach Geoff Loomis said. "We showed great resiliency in that win."

Tanner Williams finished the game with four runs batted in to lead the Lutes, while Tyler Thompson hit his fifth home run of the year and both Ben Welch and Jacob Clements each tallied two hits and two runs scored. Curtis Wildung reached base three times, tripling in his first at bat and also walking twice. Garrett Brown earned his fifth win of the season, pitching 5.1 innings while allowing only one unearned run on 95 pitches. AJ Konopaski recorded his 11th save of the season.

Emory took advantage of three PLU errors and two walks to score three runs in the top of the first, but that was a distant memory by the time the Eagles reclaimed a one-run lead in the top of the eighth. PLU's fifth error of the day allowed Emory to score its third unearned run and take a 7-6 advantage with only one inning to play. The Eagles sent closer Kyle Monk to the mound in the bottom of the frame with the goal of picking up the final six outs to claim his 10th save of the season and climb into the national top-five in saves.

Four runs later it was the Lutes' closer Konopaski moving his way up the national leaderboard instead and sending PLU into the winner's bracket for the tournament. The fielding mishaps that plagued PLU for the first seven-and-a-half innings struck Emory in the bottom of the eighth, as the Eagles committed three errors in the frame and gave up three unearned runs. Welch and Clements hit a pair of one-out singles, and Drew Oord tied it up with a base hit to left center. From that point the inning unraveled for the Eagles.

Frank Airey pinch hit for the Lutes and hit an 0-2 pitch that led to two Emory errors and allowed the eventual winning run to score. Miscues by the Emory first baseman and right fielder allowed Airey to reach second, Oord to reach third and Clements to score. After the Eagles intentionally walked Wildung to load the bases Williams reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Oord to score. Emory's third error of the inning brought Airey home on the play, and suddenly PLU held its first lead of the game.

The Lutes spent much of the day working their way back after Emory claimed early leads. The Eagles got to PLU starter Chris Bishop for five runs – only three earned – on five hits with five walks in only 2.2 innings before Brown took over and shut down the Emory offense. Bishop and Brown pitched out of trouble in both the first and third innings, leaving the bases loaded in both frames to keep PLU within three runs.

The PLU offense got right to work chipping away at the lead, with Wildung leading off the bottom of the first with a triple to right center and scoring on Williams' sacrifice fly. Two more runs came in the bottom of the second to tie it at 3-3, as Clements singled and Oord and Wildung walked to load the bases with two outs. Williams again came through for PLU, singling to right center to score Clements and Oord.

Even after Emory reclaimed the lead with two in the top of the third, the Lutes got right back at it in the bottom of the frame with Thompson's homer to left making it a one-run game. PLU tied it in the sixth, as Welch began the inning with a double down the left field line and scored two outs later on a single to right by Kory VanderStaay.

PLU got to Emory starter Jackson Weeg early, but the Eagle ace settled down to finish with seven innings pitched. He allowed five runs on seven hits with 10 strikeouts. Monk took the loss after allowing four runs – one earned – on three hits with a walk in one inning. Brett Lake, Wilson Morgan and Philip Maldari all tallied two hits for the Eagles, while Nick Chambers drove in a pair of runs.