TACOMA, Wash. — Jaden Pieper collected his first collegiate home run on Friday, one of three Pacific Lutheran University baseball players to go yard against crosstown nemesis University of Puget Sound. In the end, it wouldn't be enough as the Lutes dropped both ends of a Northwest Conference doubleheader, getting edged 7-6 in extra innings to begin the day and falling 4-0 in the nightcap.

Pieper got things rolling for the Lutes in the bottom of the second inning, belting his first collegiate home run with a solo shot over the left field fence. The visiting Loggers tied the game in the third, getting an RBI single with two outs to tie the game before adding two more in the top of the fourth.

Hayden Kaiser bopped a solo home run in the fourth inning to close within a run. PLU loaded the bases with one out later in the inning but a strike out and a fly out allowed UPS to escape the inning with the 3-2 advantage.

An Ashton Barton home run tied the game in the fifth but it was short lived with the Loggers pushing across a run the next half inning to stake a 4-3 lead. 

The Lute offense wasn't finished in game one, reclaiming the lead after piling on three runs in the bottom of the seventh. A Brody Phinney single plated both Barton and Rutger Youch before a Rochne Beecham base hit plated Hayden Kaiser.

Puget Sound tied the game with two runs in the top of the ninth before pushing across the winning run in the 10th to score the 7-6 victory.

PLU cranked out 13 hits in the opener with Youch leading the way with three hits and a run scored while Phinney and Carson Burke both had two hits.

Matthew Sherwood struck out seven in 5 1/3 innings of work, throwing 100 total pitches. Kamryn Swartz fanned two in 2 2/3 innings of work while Chris Moreno was saddled with the decision after striking out one and allowing no earned runs in two innings of action.

Game two was a pitchers' duel with the game scoreless through the opening six innings. The Loggers opened things up in the top of the seventh, plating three runs before adding an insurance score in the ninth with a solo home run. PLU had the tying run on deck after Peter King and Gunnar Sebright drew walks to begin the bottom of the ninth but the Lutes were unable to capitalize as the Loggers recorded three straight outs to escape with the doubleheader sweep.

Three of PLU's five hits came from pinch hitters with Christian Cambridge, Rowan Amann, and Sam Richardson all collecting base hits, including a double from Amann.

Trevor Mason was the opener on the hill, tossing 3 1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts while allowing just two hits. Jonathan Cohen pitched 3 2/3 innings of long relief, striking out two and getting tagged with the decision. Anthony Adams and Jake Sulya each pitched an inning with Sulya allowing no hits in the ninth. 

The Lutes and Loggers finish the series tomorrow at 11 a.m.