TACOMA – The Pacific Lutheran University baseball lost a late lead against Lewis & Clark College to begin the day, in what was the Northwest Conference series finale. The Pioneers took the series 2-1 and defeated the Lutes in a nonconference battle to complete the afternoon.
 
Game 1
Leading 8-4 after six innings, things seemed to be in hand for the Lutes, but Lewis & Clark scored 11 runs in its next three trips to the plate to steal a 15-11 victory from the home team.
 
Cole Trotignon tossed the first six innings for PLU, but after 110 pitches he was forced to turn it over to the bullpen. The Lute pen was tagged for 11 runs over the next three innings and surrendered 10 walks. Chris Moreno (0-2) took the loss after allowing a hit and a run, while failing to record an out.
 
Offensively, the Lutes ripped Pioneer pitching for 20 hits, eight of which were for extra bases, but left 11 runners on base in the defeat. Ashton Barton led the way with four hits, three doubles and two batted in, while Andy Schmitz, Aaron Barber, Trotignon and Rutger Youch all had three hits. Schmitz had two triples, scored three times and knocked in a pair and Barber drove in three of his own. Trotignon also blasted a solo home run to left center field in the fifth inning.
 
Game 2
The Pioneers jumped out to a 6-0 lead after the first inning and struck eight more times in the sixth to complete the sweep of the Lutes for the afternoon.
 
Offensively, PLU produced both of its runs in the fourth inning. Ethan Keintz and Trotignon led off the inning with base hits and Barton followed with a double to score Keintz. With one out, Youch drove in Trotignon for the home team's final run of the afternoon.
 
Jake Sulya was effective out of the bullpen for PLU, tossing 4.1 innings and allowing just two hits and no runs with four strikeouts.
 
Next Up
PLU (6-5, 1-2 NWC) will remain in Northwest Conference play next weekend when it heads to McMinnville, Ore. to take on Linfield University for a three-game series. The Lutes opened the series at Linfield and won the series in nonconference action.