TACOMA, Wash. - The Pacific Lutheran University baseball team maintained its perch atop the Northwest Conference standings on Sunday, dispatching crosstown rival University of Puget Sound 6-2 for the Lutes' first series sweep of the NWC season.
Cole Trotignon did it all on Sunday, striking out five in 7 1/3 innings on the mound for the win while belting his fifth home run of the season at the plate.
The Lutes (15-6, 8-4 NWC) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Andy Schmitz led off the inning with a double down the right field line. Schmitz advanced to third on a groundout before scoring on a wild pitch. The Loggers (10-12, 7-8 NWC) tied the game in the third before
Cole Trotignon blasted a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth, scoring
Jordan Haworth for the 3-1 lead.
PLU tacked on two more runs in the fifth for good measure with Schmitz and
Alex Boyd leading off the frame with infield singles before both scored on a
Jordan Haworth two-RBI double to left center field. The Lutes pushed across another run in the seventh, with Haworth scoring to mushroom the advantage to 6-1.
Puget Sound added a run in the eighth but was unable to inflict any more damage as the Lutes rolled to the series sweep.
Schmitz finished two-for-five with two runs scored while Haworth was two-for-three with two RBis and two runs scored.
On the mound, Trotignon fanned five and allowed just one walk to earn the decision while
Noah Ferguson was lights out for the second consecutive day, tossing the final 1 2/3 innings and allowing just one hit and no walks while netting three punchouts.
Pacific Lutheran reclaimed the top spot in the league standings on Saturday after earning 5-2 and 20-13 victories at the expense of the Loggers.
The Lutes are back on the diamond on Saturday, heading to Portland for a doubleheader against Lewis & Clark College.
