TACOMA, Wash. — Ashton Barton and
Hayden Kaiser blasted back-to-back home runs to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth but a late run derailed the Pacific Lutheran University baseball team on Sunday afternoon, falling 4-3 to Linfield University to close out the three-game Northwest Conference series.
"It was another tough one today and was kind of a snapshot of our season," said Head Coach
Nolan Soete.
"We didn't hit well enough today. I thought our pitchers did a great job competing and keeping us in the game. We got back in it with big home runs by Barton and Kaiser, but gave up the go ahead run the next half. We had several opportunities to tie the game or take a lead, but we just didn't come through with a big hit. Linfield played disciplined baseball and did a nice job minimizing damage on defense and maximizing damage on offense."
PLU (11-21, 6-12 NWC) had the tying run 90 feet away in the bottom of the ninth inning with the winning run at first with two outs before a fly out to right field stymied any chance at a Lute rally.
The visiting Wildcats (15-15, 9-8 NWC) struck first, scoring a pair of runs with two outs on a single through the left side in the top of the second inning. A double down the left field line made it 3-0 Linfield in the fifth.
PLU's bats came alive in the sixth.
Aaron Barber belted a one-out double before scoring on a Barton two-run home run. It was Barton's team-leading sixth round-tripper of the season. Kaiser followed suit the next at bat, blasting a solo shot for his second home run of the year to tie the game.
Linfield generated the eventual game winner in the top of the seventh, getting a base hit, before advancing the runner to second on a sacrifice bunt. That runner would score on an RBI single to push the Wildcats ahead 4-3.
PLU stranded runners on the corners in both the seventh and ninth innings as Linfield earned the series sweep.
Barton was two-for-four with two RBIs while
Rutger Youch also finished with a pair of hits.
Jon Crawley made the start on the mound, striking out four in 4 1/3 innings of effort.
Kamryn Swartz was saddled with the decision, throwing 2 2/3 innings and striking out three.
Matthew Sherwood finished off the final two innings, allowing no runs and scattering three hits.
The Lutes hit the road next weekend with a three-game series in Forest Grove, Oregon against Pacific University. That series gets underway on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.
