PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Pacific Lutheran Baseball team got the series win against the Pioneers after rallying to score three runs in the ninth inning to win 11-8 on Sunday.
 
With limited starting pitching availability in a one-game Sunday matchup the Lutes leaned on five different pitchers to get the job done in a high-scoring affair against Lewis & Clark. Freshman Jon Crawley earned the starting bid, giving up three runs in the first frame to match the Lutes three runs scored to begin the game.
 
Rutger Youch led-off with a single through the middle infield, followed by Aaron Barber reaching on a fielding arror. Ashton Barton then loaded the bases after beating out a bunt. Brody Phinney's bat has punished opposing pitchers in the month of April, in which his single up the middle scored two. As Rochne Beecham worked a walk, Hayden Kaiser wore a pitch to bring another runner home in the opening frame.
 
The 3-3 tie was broken by the Pioneers in the top of the third, as Crawley gave up a lead-off home run to put Lewis & Clark up 4-3. Issuing a walk to his next batter, his day would be done after two innings. Jonathan Cohen came out of the pen in relief for the first year starter. Cohen went on to give up another home run to the Pioneers, extending their lead to 6-3 before the reliever got out of the inning.
 
The Lutes bats would not go cold though, as Aaron Barber pulled an inside pitch down the right field line for a two-run home run and cutting the deficit to one. The next Lutes rally came with two outs in the sixth, with Barber and Youch hitting singles and giving Barton baserunners for his home run to left field, putting the Lutes on top once again, 8-6.
 
Cohen would open the home half of the sixth with a walk, to which Logan Egge would relieve the pitcher of his duties. Egge opened with a wild pitch and gave up a one-out single that would score the runner from third. The Pioneers loaded the bases with a hit-by-pitch and a walk. Egge's struggles to find the zone continued as he walked in the next batter to knot the game up at 8-8. Wyatt Norris came in for Egge and got out of the bases-loaded jam with a flyout to left field.
 
PLU executed on a Pioneers pitching change in the ninth, as Barton ripped a one-out single followed by a Phinney double. Carson Burke gave the Lutes the lead with a single to right centerfield, scoring Barton and Phinney. Kaiser kept the rally alive and added an insurance run with his double to get Burke around the base paths.
 
With an 11-8 lead, Peter King shut the door on a Pioneers comeback after allowing one hit in the final frame and giving the Lutes their first series win in nearly three weeks. Barton and Youch shined, each going 3-5 in the game. Barton drove in three while Barber, Phinney, Burke, and Kaiser had two runs batted in, respectively.
 
Baseball will make up a previously postponed game against the Whitworth Pirates by traveling to Spokane, Wash. on Tuesday to complete the three-game season series.
 
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