TACOMA, Wash. — The Pacific Lutheran University baseball team sent its seniors out in style on Saturday afternoon, scoring early and often in an 8-3 victory over crosstown nemesis University of Puget Sound in the season finale at PLU Field.

The Lutes (14-25, 9-15 Northwest Conference) struck first, plating a run with two outs in the bottom of the first inning. Aaron Barber drew a two-out walk and later scored on a Brody Phinney triple to deep center field. A hit batter and a walk loaded the bases behind Phinney before the Loggers' worked out of the jam with a strikeout.


PLU was on the board again in the third inning. Four consecutive hits, including an RBi single from Jaden Pieper scored Aaron Barber before a Brayden Adcox sacrifice fly scored Phinney to make it 3-0 in favor of the hosts. 

The runs continued to pile on for PLU, adding four more in the fourth to make it 7-0. A wild pitch allowed Rutger Youch to score the inning's first run before Jaden Pieper double to center field cleared the bases, scoring Hayden Kaiser, Barber, and Ashton Barton.

The Loggers got on the board in the fifth only to have the Lutes answer with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame courtesy of a Barber single. UPS added two more runs in the seventh to make it 8-3 but were unable to come any closer.

Barber finished two-for-three with three runs scored while also walking twice while Pieper was two-for-three with four RBIs and two walks. Phinney and Lukas Delisle both had two hits on a day Pacific Lutheran cranked out 11 hits.

Jon Crawley earned the win on the hill, allowing two earned runs in seven innings of work while Wyatt Norris tossed two innings of scoreless relief, striking out two and allowing just one hit. 

"Crawley did an excellent job today. He really set the tone by attacking hitters and throwing strikes and It was nice to finish the season with a win," said Head Coach Nolan Soete.

PLU's seniors Rowan Amann, Ashton Barton, Christian Cambridge, Trevor Mason, Sam Richardson, Gunnar Sebright, and Jake Sulya were all honored in a pregame ceremony with the seven 2024 graduates helping the program win 79 games over the last four seasons, including 54 NWC victories. 

"The 2024 senior class had a tremendous impact on the program. They will be remembered for their great work ethic and loyalty to the program. They represented the program in a professional manner on the field, in the classroom, and throughout the community. I have no doubt they will all be very successful in life."