TACOMA, Wash. – The Pacific Lutheran University baseball team clinched its second straight Northwest Conference series victory today after cutting down crosstown rival University of Puget Sound 9-8 and 13-9 to sweep both ends of a doubleheader. In the process, Cole Trotignon hit his 23^rd career home run to become the school's all-time home run king.
 
"We competed our butts off today," said PLU Head Coach Nolan Soete. "Our offense put together a ton of quality at-bats. It was great to see Trotignon break the all-time home run record. He's a great kid and he's been absolutely huge for the program over the last three years. Chris Moreno did a heck of a job closing out both games. Overall, it was a great team effort."
 
Game 1
The Lutes never trailed in the opening-game victory and scored twice in the first inning. Braeden Lundberg, Andy Schmitz, and Ethan Keintz led off the game with three straight singles to load the bases for Ashton Barton. Barton dropped down a sacrifice bunt, but two Lutes came around to score to put up a crooked number.
 
UPS evened the score  in the first, but the visitors scored the next five runs to blow the game open. Barton hit a RBI double and Trotignon produced a RBI single in the third and Schmitz blasted a three-run homer in the fourth to make it 7-2.
 
The Loggers scored three times in the sixth to cut the lead to 7-5, but PLU answered in the next at-bat as Rochne Beecham doubled home Barton and Lukas Delisle knocked in Trotignon.
 
UPS scored two more times in the eighth to chase Lute starter Spencer Howell (5-2) and after PLU shuffled through two more relievers without recording an out, it was Moreno who finished off the Loggers. After surrendering back-to-back singles to start his appearance, he retired the final five batters he faced for his second save of the year.
 
Howell earned the win after throwing 7 1/3 innings and striking out nine. At the plate, Schmitz went 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored. Lundberg and Trotignon both had two hits for the Lutes who had 13 hits as a team.
 
Game 2
The Lutes trailed 6-3 after five innings, but scored runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to tie the game, before exploding for seven runs in the ninth inning to complete the 13-9 comeback. 
 
With the score tied 6-6 to start the ninth, Barton put the Lutes up for good as he led off the final inning with his third homer of the year. The Lutes sent 11 men to the plate in the inning with Carson Burke's two-run single and Beecham's two-run, pinch-hit double providing the big damage.
Trailing 13-6, UPS scored three times in the ninth before Soete called on Moreno to finish the ball game. After walking his first batter, Moreno got back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat and pickup his second save of the day.
 
Trotignon started the comeback in the sixth with a solo home run to cut the lead to 6-4. It was the 23^rd home run of his career, breaking a tie with former teammate Jordan Haworth and John Panko atop the Lutes' all-time career list. The Kent native added a RBI single in the seventh and pinch-runner Christian Cambridge scored on a wild pitch in the eighth to set the stage for the big ninth.
 
Trevor Mason (2-0) earned the win for PLU after taking over for Trotignon in the seventh. Mason allowed three runs over 2.1 innings before passing the baton to Moreno. At the plate, Trotignon and Lundberg both had three hits and two RBI. Barton and Aaron Barber also added a pair of base hits as the Lutes combined for 16 more in the second game.
 
PLU (12-15, 6-9 NWC) will look to sweep the road series tomorrow when they play the final game of the three-game set. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.