TACOMA, Wash. — The Pacific Lutheran University baseball team earned a Northwest Conference series sweep on Sunday, defeating Willamette University 9-5 at PLU Field. The two teams closed the day with a seven inning non-conference game that saw the visiting Bearcats come away with a 7-2 win against a Lute squad that rested most of its regular starters.
"It was a good weekend for the team. I thought we did a good job competing and I hope we're able to have that intensity carry over into our series next weekend down at Linfield,"said Head Coach
Nolan Soete
The Bearcats (5-15, 2-7 NWC) struck first in the NWC series finale, pushing across a run after stringing together three straight singles with two outs in the top of the third inning.
The host Lutes (9-9, 7-5 NWC) tied the game in the sixth inning with
Rutger Youch leading off the inning with a single up the middle. Youch advanced to second on a groundout before scoring on an
Ethan Keintz single up the middle with two outs.
PLU seized control in the bottom of the sixth, plating four runs to take a 5-1 lead.
Asa Reese got things started with an infield single to lead off the inning. A Youch double scored Reese to put the Lutes in the lead before a
Kyle Tat single down the line scored both Youch and
Brody Phinney.
Braeden Lundberg drove in
Kaleb McNeely later in the frame, giving PLU the four-run cushion.
Willamette hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh but the Lutes responded with another four runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Kyle Tat absorbed a pitch to the body with the bases juiced, allowing
Brody Phinney to score before Keintz cleared the bases with a double down the left field line, scoring Tat, McNeely, and Youch to stake a 9-2 Lute lead.
The Bearcats scored two in the eighth and one more in the ninth but it wasn't enough as the Lutes cruised to the 9-5 victory to sweep the NWC series.
Phinney led the Lutes at the plate, going three-for-four and scoring three runs. Keintz and Burke both had a pair of hits with Keintz driving in four runs while McNeely and three RBIs.
Alex Lopez tossed the opening five innings, striking out three and allowing just one run.
Chris Moreno earned the win, improving to 3-1 on the season after tossing the final four innings and striking out one.
Game two of the day, a non-conference contest, saw the visiting Bearcats take an early lead after scoring a run in the top of the first and three more in the top of the second.
The Lutes got on the board in the bottom of the third inning.
Ryan Moore drew a walk to lead off the inning before moving to third thanks to a hit batter and another walk. Moore eventually scored on a
Hayden Kaiser sacrifice fly but PLU was unable to cut any further into WU's lead, ending the frame with the bases loaded.
Willamette's lead was extended to 7-1 after scoring a single run in the fourth and two in the fifth. A
Carson Burke pinch hit double scored
Kyle Tat in the sixth inning, making it 7-2 but the Lutes were unable to come any closer in the seven inning game.
PLU's five pitchers combined for nine strikeouts on the day.
Logan Egge tossed the final 2 1/3 innings of the game, striking out two and allowing no hits.
Pacific Lutheran hits the road next weekend with a doubleheader on Friday against Linfield University in McMinnville, Oregon. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.
