TACOMA, Wash.— The Pacific Lutheran University baseball team earned a doubleheader split for the second consecutive day against Northwest Conference rival Whitman College. The Lutes fell 12-3 in the conference series finale but closed the day with an 11-2 non-league victory behind a strong itching effort from a trio of seniors. 

"It was a tough series against Whitman," said Head Coach Nolan Soete.

"They did a good job winning game three today. It was a good bounce back by our seniors to win game four. The 2025 senior class will be remembered as a close knit group that worked hard on the field and in the classroom. They really enjoyed playing the game of baseball together and they will be missed."

In game one, Jon Crawley struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings of long relief but the Lutes (15-20, 7-14 NWC) were sabotaged by a rocky first and ninth inning as the Blues (20-17, 11-10 NWC) won the rubbermatch to win the NWC series. 

Whitman scored four runs in the opening inning, including a two-run home run from Halen Otte. The Blues pushed its lead to 5-0 in the third with a solo home run before a Rochne Beecham single scored Aaron Barber to get the Lutes on the board in the bottom half of the inning. 

Pacific Lutheran narrowed the gap to just a pair of runs in the eighth inning, getting an RBI single from Ethan Keintz to score Carson Burke before an Asa Reese double down the line allowed Keintz to score. Whitman blew the game open in the ninth, piling on seven runs, including six unearned to breeze to the 12-3 victory. 

PLU had 11 hits from seven different players with Barber, Burke, Keintz, and Hayden Kaiser all finishing with multiple base knocks. 

PLU utilized six pitchers on the day with Chris Moreno getting tagged with the decision. Crawley tallied nine of the team's 11 punchouts on the day while allowing just four hits and issuing just two free passes. 

Game two saw the Lutes seize and early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Brayden Adcox had a leadoff double, later scoring on a Barber RBI single while Barber scored on a wild pitch later in the frame. PLU added another run in the second inning with an Adcox single plating Chase Pringle who reached base on a double to left field.

Two more came in the third, upping the Lute lead to 5-0. A Jaden Pieper single up the middle scored Barber before a Kyler Gerber sacrifice fly allowed Reese to score. 

Another Pieper single made it 6-0 in the fifth inning, scoring Cooper Moore before Prestin Reed drove in a run with a bases loaded hit by pitch. Brayden Adcox added some fireworks the next at bat, belting a grand slam to make it 11-0. 

Whitman tallied a two-run home run in the sixth but that was all the damage done as PLU secured the 11-2 non-conference win.

Adcox finished game two by going three-for-four at the plate with five RBIs and two runs scored while Reese and Pieper both had two hits.

Seniors Cade Hamel, Jonathan Cohen, and Stevan Rodriquez combined for five strikeouts while allowing just five hits. Hamel tossed the opening three innings, allowing just two hits and no runs while Cohen earned the win with two innings of scoreless relief, fanning two and allowing one hit. Rodriquez slammed the door on the Blues, tossing the final two frames. 

Sunday was senior day with the team honoring the 2025 senior class prior to the first pitch. As a unit, the senior class won 67 games over the past four seasons, including victories over teams from all three NCAA divisions. Those recognized included Stevan Rodriquez, Aaron Barber, Kyler Gerber, Lukas Delisle, Peter King, Jaden Pieper, Prestin Reed, Cade Hamel, Kamryn Swartz, Avery McGinnis, Jonathan Cohen, Anthony Adams, and Charlie Olson. 

The Lutes are back on the diamond on Saturday with a doubleheader on the road against crosstown nemesis University of Puget Sound. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.