Written by Student Assistant Christian Bond

TACOMA, Wash. – It was a victory 16 days in the making for the Pacific Lutheran University baseball team with a late offense surge by the Lutes enough to secure a 7-3 win over crosstown rival University of Puget Sound on Wednesday. 

The Lutes (6-8, 4-2 Northwest Conference) and Loggers (8-4, 2-2 NWC) traded runs in the early innings that took place on February 20. Austin Gormley singled home Anthony Gosline, knotting the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second. The game was eventually postponed midway through the fifth due to snow. Action resumed on March 7, and it started with a bang. A two-out walk from Jacob Bockelie led to a cloud-scraping two-run home run from Cole Johnson, pushing the score to 3-1 after five innings. Johnson and Gormley both had two hits and two runs driven in.

"It was a high one for sure," Johnson said. "Off the bat it didn't feel very good. I hit it off the end a bit and I figured it would be just a deep fly out. Once I saw it leave the yard I was pretty stoked. We needed those runs and I was happy it worked out for us early on in the continuation."

Insurance came in a big way for the Lutes in the bottom of the eighth. Johnson led the inning off with a single. Gosline and Marques Carlson laid down bunts that resulted in hits, loading the bases for the Lutes. Gormley was hit by a pitch, followed by walks that scored runs from Adam Stump and Matt Vick. Tori Doten hit a sac fly to right that scored Vick. The Lutes carried a 7-1 lead into the ninth. Puget Sound scratched across a couple runs, but not enough to topple the Lutes.

Chad Gideon was excellent on the mound the Lutes. Gideon hurled seven innings, giving up just three hits. The big right-hander struck out four batters, giving up no earned runs. Andrew Curran came on in relief, throwing a scoreless frame.

"I thought Bockelie and Cole Johnson set the tone in the bottom of the 5th with two big hits," head coach Nolan Soete said. "Gideon did a great job on short rest. Curran came in and was very efficient. We executed team stuff really well. It was a good win"

The Lutes return to action at Pacific University for a doubleheader that starts at noon on Saturday.