TACOMA, Wash. — The Pacific Lutheran University baseball team was dialed in on Saturday, earning a doubleheader sweep of Lewis & Clark College in a non-conference showdown at Jerry Gatto Field. The Lutes blasted the River Otters 18-5 in game one before scoring late in a 7-4 victory in what is a preview of next weekend's Northwest Conference opening series.
 
"Sherwood had a quality start in game one. Burke and Tat set the tone offensively and everyone else followed with a lot of quality at bats," said Head Coach Nolan Soete.
 
"Kimura had an excellent start in game two. Asa Reese carried us offensively. We played clean defense and Moreno did a good job on the back end. Overall, it was a good team effort."
 
The Lutes (2-3) poured on runs early and often, including a nine-run explosion in the sixth inning to cruise to the game one victory.

A Ethan Keintz RBI fielder's choice scored two in the first inning before the host River Otters (2-4) answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the first. PLU kept its foot on the gas, scoring two more in the second inning to build a 4-1 advantage. A Braeden Lundberg sacrifice fly scored Kaleb McNeely before a Carson Burke single up the middle scored Kyle Tat later in the frame. 

Lewis & Clark closed the gap to 4-3 in the third inning but the Lutes quickly responded with four runs the next half inning. A Burke double down the line scored both Rutger Youch and Lundberg before Ethan Keintz swapped places with Burke on the basepath with a double to left center. An Asa Reese sacrifice fly scored Keintz, bumping the Lute lead to 8-3. 

PLU had a quiet fifth inning before erupting for nine in the top of the sixth. Burke set the tone with a leadoff home run. A Tat single scored Reese and Keintz later in the frame before a Lundberg RBI walk made it 12-3. Youch cleared the bases on a double the next at bat before another Keintz two-bagger made it 17-3 PLU. 

PLU pounded out 19 hits in the game from nine different players. Youth finished three-for-three with three RBIs and three runs scored while Burke and Keintz both finished with three hits and four RBIs.

Matthew Sherwood earned the win on the hill, tossing the opening five innings and striking out five while Alex Lopez secured the save, pitching the final four frames and striking out five. 

Lewis & Clark drew first blood in game two, pushing across a run in the second before the Lutes scored three in the fifth and one in the sixth. A Rochne Beecham double plated Tat for the Lutes' first run before a Youch double to right center field cleared the bases, scoring Lundberg and Beecham. PLU's lead grew to 4-1 the next inning thanks to an Asa Reese solo home run.
 
The River Otters rallied and tied the game in the bottom of the sixth before Reese blasted his second home run of the game in the top of the eighth inning, scoring both Keintz and Burke to give PLU a 7-4 lead it would maintain the rest of the game. 
 
Reese finished the day two-for-four with four RBIs with both of his hits home runs. Youch was three-for-five with a pair of RBIs while Keintz finished two-for-four. 
 
Osei Kimura tossed 5 1/3 innings and struck out five while Chris Moreno tossed the final 3 2/3, registering the win and striking out three while allowing no runs. 
 
Pacific Lutheran's game tomorrow against Willamette University has been canceled due to weather. As a result, PLU's next games will be next Saturday back in Portland, opening Northwest Conference play with a three-game series against today's opponent— Lewis & Clark.