TACOMA, Wash. — Surrendering 11 combined runs in the first inning of both ends of a doubleheader spelled trouble for the Pacific Lutheran University baseball team on Sunday afternoon. The Lutes were unable to dig out of that early hole in both contests, dropping a 15-8 decision to Northwest Conference rival Pacific University to begin the day before falling 17-3 in the nightcap.
 
The Boxers (7-5, 4-2 NWC) wasted little time getting on the board in the opener, piling on five runs in the first inning. Pacific banged out four consecutive base hits to begin the game, including a three-run home run to make it 4-0. 
 
 Pacific's lead expanded to 7-0 in the second before the Lutes (6-8, 1-5 NWC) starting chipping away in the bottom half of the inning. 
 
A Lukas Delisle single up the middle scored Cole Trotignon for the Lutes' first run of the game before an Andy Schmitz single plated Brody Phinney to cut the gap to 7-2. 
 
The Boxers piled on four more in the fourth. PLU scratched across two in the bottom courtesy of a Schmitz two-run home run but Pacific answered with three more runs in the fifth and another in the seventh to balloon its lead to 15-4. 
 
PLU scored two in the seventh and two more in the ninth but it wasn't enough, falling 15-8. That included a RBI double from Brody Phinney, Gunner Sebright absorbing a pitch for a bases loaded RBI hit by pitch, along with a Sean Kauffman single to left center field. 
 
Schmitz finished two-for-four at the plate with three RBIs while Braeden Lundberg, Ethan Keintz, and Brody Phinney all collected a pair of hits. Highlighting the late innings was Carson Burke hitting a double in the sixth inning in his first collegiate at-bat. 
 
Jonathan Cohen recorded four strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings of middle relief while Charlie Olson and Jake Prewett collected four punchouts over the final three innings.
 
In game two, the Boxers piled on six in the first inning and 10 more over the course of the fourth and fifth innings in the 17-3 route.
 
PLU's three runs all came in the seventh inning with Burke scoring on a wild pitch while Schmitz and Cole Trotignon notched RBIs on bases loaded walks later in the inning. 
 
The Lutes hit the road next weekend, trekking to Salem, Oregon for a three-game series against Willamette University. First pitch on Saturday is set for 11 a.m.