TACOMA, Wash. - Justin Tucker struck out 14 and the Pacific Lutheran University baseball team's offense exploded for 10 runs in the fifth inning, steamrolling crosstown rival University of Puget Sound 14-5 in Friday's home opener at PLU Field. 
 
"Tucker is our ace and he thew like a true ace today," said Head Coach Nolan Soete. 
 
"He was dominant and it's easy to play great defense behind pitching like that."
 
The visiting Loggers (3-1) drew first blood, pushing across a single run in the opening inning. The Lutes (3-2) quickly leveled the score with an Austin Gormley single to center field scoring Tori Doten. 
 
A Cole Trotignon sacrifice fly allowed Andy Schmitz to score in the bottom of the third before a two-out, bases clearing triple by Ashton Barton pushed the Lute lead to 4-1 later in the inning. 
 
The floodgates opened in the fifth, with the Lutes hammering the Loggers for 10 runs. A Gormley infield single scored Jordan Haworth for the frame's opening score before a Connor Lemma single down the left field line brought in Trotignon. Kenton Robillard and Sean Kauffman both drove in runs with a bases loaded hit by pitch while a Tori Doten fielder's choice made it 9-1 in favor of the hosts.
 
Doten scored on a Logger throwing error before Gormley hammered a three-run home run that cleared the left field fence, giving PLU the comfortable 14-1 edge.
 
Puget Sound tacked on a pair of runs in both the seventh and eighth innings but the damage was already done as the Lutes cruised to the non-conference win.
 
Cole Tucker improved to 2-0 on the season with a stellar outing on the mound. The junior righthander fanned 14 batters, two shy of a single-game record in 6 1/3 innings of work. Three of Tucker's seven hits allowed happened in the first inning as he struck of 14 of the opening 21 batters he faced. Jonathan Cohen, Trevor Mason, and Jack Hannah tag-teamed the final 2 2/3 innings, allowing just two hits the rest of the way.
 
Gormley was the star of the show at the plate, finishing four-for-five with five RBIs and three runs scored. Ashton Barton was two-for-four with two RBIs while Jordan Haworth was three-for-five with two runs scored. 
 
"A lot of guys looked good at the plate today, especially Gormley. He missed the last two games because of a broken nose, so it was nice to have him back in the middle of the lineup."
 
The Lutes and Loggers finish the series on Sunday with a doubleheader at UPS. First pitch is slated for 10 a.m.