PORTLAND, Ore. - The Pacific Lutheran University baseball team's offense was humming on Saturday, cranking out 23 hits and 20 runs in a doubleheader split with Northwest Conference rival Lewis & Clark College. The Lutes held an early lead in the opener behind a pair of home runs from John Graham but ultimately came up short 8-7 before slamming the host Pioneers 13-7 in the nightcap to remain in first place in the NWC standings.

In the opener, John Graham belted two home runs and the Lutes (16-7, 9-5 NWC) raced out to a 6-1 lead but was unable to stave off a late rally from the Pios who pulled out the 8-7 upset win.

Cole Trotignon got the Lute offense rolling, getting an RBI single in the third to score Andy Schmitz to tie the game at 1-1. Graham would blast a three-run home run to right field later in the frame before a Tori Doten home run plated two more, giving the Lutes the 6-1 advantage.

Lewis & Clark (14-12, 8-9 NWC) generated single runs in the third and fourth innings before Graham belted a solo home run to center field in the fifth, giving PLU the 7-3 lead.

The pesky Pios would score four in the seventh to tie the game, including a three-run home run with one out before pushing across the winning run in the eighth inning on a single up the middle.

Graham powered the Lutes at the plate, going two-for-three with four RBIs and two runs scored. Jordan Hawoth was two-for-four as the only other Lute with multiple hits.

Tommy Snyder pitched the opening six innings, striking out five while Alex Gregory and Noah Ferguson tossed the final two frames, combining for three strikeouts.

Game two saw the homestanding Pios take a 3-0 lead after scoring a run in each of the first three innings. PLU got on the board in the top of the fourth, with an Ashton Barton single scoring two before Braeden Lundberg cleared the bases the next at bat, poking a single to center field to give the Lutes the 4-3 lead.

PLU kept its pedal on the gas, pouring on eight runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh for the blowout win to secure the doubleheader split.

An Ethan Keintz RBI double scored Trotignon to open up the floodgates in the sixth. Barton and Lundberg both collected RBI base hits before Schmitz and Haworth hit back-to-back doubles, each driving in a pair of runs. A Trotignon sac fly brought in the eighth run of the inning while in the seventh a Haworth single plated Sean Kauffman, giving the Lutes a comfortable 10-run buffer.

Lewis & Clark scored four in the bottom of the ninth but it wasn't enough as the Lutes held on for the 13-7 win.

Doten was on fire in game two, going four-for-five with two runs scored. Haworth had three hits, including two going for extra bases, along with three RBIs while Barton and Lundberg both had two hits and three RBIs.

Spencer Howell earned the win, tossing the opening six innings and striking out five. Jonathan Cohen struck out three of the four batters he faced in the seventh while Trevor Mason, Jaden Pieper, and Joshua Gibson handled the final two innings to preserve the win.

"Game one was a tough one. We were in control for most of the game and made a couple of mistakes and Lewis & Clark made us pay," said Head Coach Nolan Soete.

"Several players had a good day offensively. Doten and Graham carried us in game one and Haworth, Barton, and Lundberg put together a lot of quality at bats in game two. For the most part we played well defensively all day. I'm proud of the way the players responded in game two and look forward to the opportunity to win the series tomorrow."

The Lutes and Pioneers continue the series tomorrow at 12 p.m.