FOREST GROVE, Ore. — It took 22 innings but it was worth the wait for the Pacific Lutheran University baseball team, grinding out a doubleheader sweep of Pacific University with a pair of 11 inning victories on Saturday to open the Northwest Conference weekend series. The Lutes took game one 7-6 before prevailing in game two by an identical scoreline. 

Logan Egge was the consistent thread in both games, combining to toss 4 1/3 innings of relief across the two games and earn two wins out of the bullpen. 

"It wasn't pretty, but it was a complete game effort," said Head Coach Nolan Soete.

"I thought starters Lopez and Sherwood did a good job grinding today, as did Moreno who threw well in relief in his first action in 20 days. Reese set the tone at the plate and Egge was a beast closing both games out. Overall it was a great day for us and we look to play well again tomorrow."
 
The Lutes (5-7, 3-4 NWC) scored first in game one but needed to rally late to stay alive and force extra innings, before ultimately coming out with the win.

Braeden Lundberg got things going in the top of the third inning, blasting his first home run of the season, a solo shot to put the Lutes up 1-0. Rochne Beecham added to the tally in the fifth, hitting an infield single to score Ethan Keintz before an Asa Reese base knock plated Carson Burke for a 3-1 advantage.

The host Boxers (5-15, 2-6 NWC) came alive in the fifth, scoring five runs, including one on a passed ball and another run coming after stealing home.

Reese was at it again in the seventh inning with an RBI single to score Burke while a Brody Phinney sacrifice fly tied the game after Beecham scored to make it 5-5.

Pacific took the lead in the bottom of the seventh only to see the Lutes knot the score in the ninth with Reese driving in his third run of the game, scoring Burke to force extras. 

Phinney provided the game winner in the top of the 11th, scoring Reese on a single to right field. The host Boxers had runners on second and third in the bottom of the 11th but Logan Egge made sure they advanced no further, collecting a strikeout to end the game.

Egge earned the win, tossing 1 2/3 innings of relief in a game the Lutes tossed five pitchers. Alex Lopez got the start and struck out two in 5 1/3 innings while Chris Moreno held it together down the stretch, tossing 3 1/3 innings of middle relief and striking out three.

Reese was four-for-five with three RBIs to lead the Lutes while Keintz, Kyle Tat, and Beecham all finished with multiple hits in game one. 
 
Pacific Lutheran jumped to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning in game two. Keintz led off the game with a base hit, advancing to third on a Rutger Youch double. Keintz later scored on a wild pitch before a Burke double scored Youch.
 
The Boxers pushed across a run in the bottom of the first before the Lutes added another in the top of the first inning thanks to a Grayson Meier double, scoring Phinney.

Pacific tied the game at three after getting a run in both the second and fifth innings.

A Tat triple brought in Keintz to make it 4-3 PLU in the seventh inning only to see the hosts tie the game in the bottom half of the inning. A Meier sacrifice fly scored Reese in the eighth inning but Pacific again answered, tying the game up again with a run of its own in the bottom of the eighth. 
 
Burke was instant offense in the ninth inning, belting a solo home run to reinstall a Lute lead. That lead proved short lived with Pacific scoring a run in the bottom of the ninth, tying the game at 6-6 and forcing extra innings.
 
After a scoreless 10th, Youch led off the 11th inning with a walk, advancing to second on a Tat sacrifice bunt. A Burke single allowed Youch to score in what proved to be the decisive run. 
 
Pacific got two men on to open the bottom of the 11th but a double play and a groundout ended the rally, giving the Lutes the doubleheader sweep after 22 grueling innings. 
 
Burke was three-for-six in game two with two RBIs while Keintz, Lundberg, and Meier all finished with a pair of hits.
 
Matthew Sherwood struck out seven, issued just one walk in seven innings of work. Connor Tutino and Wyatt Norris combined for four outs before Egge tossed the final 2 2/3 innings, his second appearance of the day to log the win. Egge allowed no runs, no hits, and struck out one.
 
The Lutes and Boxers finish off the series tomorrow with first pitch set for noon.