TACOMA, Wash. — Spencer Howell tossed a complete game gem in the opener and Hayden Kaiser belted his first career home run in the night cap as the Pacific Lutheran University baseball team earned a doubleheader split on Saturday against Northwest Conference rival George Fox University. The Lutes edged the Bruins 2-1 in a pitcher's duel to open things up before surrendering nine runs in the final three frames in a 14-7 setback in game two.
 
The opener was scoreless through the first five innings with PLU (8-12, 3-9 NWC) stranding seven runners on base, including leaving the bases juiced in both the third and fourth innings.
 
The drought ended in the sixth for the Lutes, bringing in a pair of runs. Ethan Keintz scored Braeden Lundberg by drawing a bases loaded walk while an Andy Schmitz groundout allowed pinch hitter Sean Kauffman to score, giving Pacific Lutheran the 2-0 advantage. 
 
The Bruins (8-12, 2-7 NWC) got on the board in the top of the ninth with a single run but it wasn't enough as the Lutes held on for the 2-1 win.
 
Spencer Howell went the distance on the hill, striking out three for his fourth win of the season and first complete game of the year. 
 
Lundberg was red-hot at the plate, finishing three-for-three while scoring a run. PLU finished with eight hits and stranded 14 runners on base over the course of the game. 
 
Hayden Kaiser got things rolling in game two, belting his first career home run in the bottom of the second inning to put the Lutes up 3-0. 
 
George Fox inched back into the game, scoring a pair of unearned runs in the third before tying the game with a run in the fifth. A two-run home run pushed the Bruins into the driver's seat, taking a 5-3 lead in the top of the sixth before adding four more in the seventh. 
 
Cole Trotignon went deep in the bottom of the seventh before the Lutes closed within two with a trio of runs in the eighth. An Andy Schmitz single scored Keintz before a Trotignon double plated two more making it 9-7.
 
George Fox's offense still had more in the tank, pushing across five runs in the ninth to cement the win.
 
Trotignon was on fire at the plate, finishing three-for-four with three RBIs and scoring two runs. Keintz was two-for-three while Kaiser had three RBIs courtesy of his round tripper in his first career start.
 
Trotignon tossed the opening 5 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out two.  
 
The Lutes close out the series with George Fox tomorrow with first pitch set for 12 p.m.