TACOMA, Wash. - Cole Trotignon and Jordan Haworth both hit a pair of home runs as the Pacific Lutheran University baseball team blasted George Fox University in a Northwest Conference doubleheader at PLU Field. The Lutes took the opener 9-5 before steamrolling the Bruins 18-1 in the nightcap. 
 
The Lutes (10-7, 6-4 NWC) struck first in the opener, capitalizing on a Bruin fielding error to take a 1-0 lead. Cole Trotignon reached base on an error to open the inning before scoring on a Connor Lemma double to right center field. The Bruins answered in the third, loading the bases on a pair of walks and a hitter batter before tying the game on a wild pitch.
 
Alex Boyd blasted a leadoff double in the bottom of the third, setting the tone for a four-run inning. Boyd's two bagger was followed by four consecutive singles, including RBI hacks from Austin Gormley and Jordan Haworth. Gormley later scored on a wild pitch while Tori Doten made it 5-1 after drawing a bases loaded walk. 
 
George Fox (7-7, 2-4 NWC) manufactured another run without registering a hit in the fourth, before tying the game at 5-5 in the fifth after putting up a three-run inning.
 
The Lutes seized the lead for good in the eighth with Boyd scoring on a throwing error before a Trotignon home run blast plated three more for a 9-5 advantage in what turned out to be the final fireworks of game one.
 
Justin Tucker and Alex Gregory combined for 13 strikeouts while allowing just three hits. Tucker tossed the opening four innings, fanning seven and allowing no base hits. Gregory provided long relief, closing out the final five innings, striking out six and registering the win.
 
PLU cranked out 12 hits including three off the bat of Boyd. Sean Kauffman, Gormley, and Trotignon all had a pair of base knocks with Trotignon tallying three RBIs.
 
The Lutes wasted little time getting on the board in game two, scoring three runs in the opening inning. Sean Kauffman was hit by pitch to open the game before scoring on a Jordan Haworth home run blast to left field. Armond Swanson III made it 3-0, bringing in Trotignon on a single to left field.
 
The Bruins answered in the top of the second with a solo home run, but the Lutes piled on five more in the second, building a comfortable 8-1 advantage. Haworth got things started with an RBI sacrifice fly followed by a RBI single from Trotignon and a bases clearing triple from Connor Lemma. Ashton Barton and Tori Doten got in on the fun later in the frame, both collecting RBI singles. 
 
The misery continued for the Bruins in the third with the Lutes adding nine more runs. Haworth blasted his second homer of the game, a three-run shot before Trotignon went yard the next at bat. Doten and Boyd both collected RBIs, Doten on a fielder's choice and Boyd on a single before a Gormley double brought in three additional runs, while a Trotignon tallied his second RBI of the inning, pushing the Lute advantage to 18-1.
 
Trotignon earned the win, striking out one and allowing just two hits in four innings of work. Trevor Mason handled the final inning, allowing no runs in the mercy-rule shortened game.
 
Haworth finished three-for-three with six RBIs while Trotignon was three-for-four with three RBIs. PLU outhit the Bruins 14-4 in game two and 26-7 over the course of the doubleheader.
 

Pacific Lutheran's 18 runs was the program's most since piling on 18 against Lewis & Clark College on Feb. 25, 2018 and was the biggest margin of victory in an NWC game since pounding Lewis & Clark 22-2 on April 18, 2015. 
 
The Lutes and Bruins continue the series tomorrow with another doubleheader at PLU Field.