TACOMA, Wash. — The Pacific Lutheran University baseball team was unable to muster another doubleheader split against Northwest Conference leading Whitworth University on Sunday. A Rochne Beecham home run had the Pirates on the brink in game one before getting edged 5-4 before closing the series with a 13-6 non-conference setback. 
 
The visiting Pirates (23-14, 17-4 NWC) struck first in the opening game of the day, pushing across single runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings.

Ethan Keintz got the Lutes (10-18, 8-10 NWC) on the board in the sixth inning, singling up the middle to score Asa Reese to make it a 3-1 game. 

Rochne Beecham put the Lutes in front with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the eighth, belting a three-run home run to score Keintz and Tyler Yarger to take a 4-3 advantage.

PLU's lead was short lived with the NWC-leading Pirates belting a go-ahead two run home run in the top of the ninth. The Lutes loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth but was unable to manufacture a run to extend the game as Whitworth escaped to earn the NWC series win taking two of three.
 
Beecham finished two-for-four at the plate with three RBIs off his late inning home run. Keintz and Reese also finished with a pair of hits. 

Osei Kimura tossed the opening seven innings, striking out four. Cole Becker was tagged with the decision, striking out one in 1 2/3 innings of action.
 
Game two of the day was a non-conference game with Whitworth taking an early lead after scoring five in the first and one more in the second.

Asa Reese had a one-out double in the second inning, later scoring on a Burke single up the middle to get the Lutes on the board.  Reese scored again in the fourth inning on a Kaleb McNeely groundout before a Beecham two-bagger in the fifth inning scored Marcus McCarthy. The Lutes weren't finished in the fifth with a Carson Burke three-run home run closing the gap to 7-6, bringing in Reese and Beecham. 
 
Whitworth padded its lead in the sixth, scoring a pair before adding four in the ninth for the 13-6 victory.
 
Reese finished three-for-three with three runs scored while Burke was three-for-four with four RBIs. 
 
PLU's pitching staff combined for six punchouts, getting three from Connor Tutino, two from Gus Livermore, and one from Wyatt Norris. 
 
The Lutes are back on the diamond on Tuesday afternoon, making the short trip across town for a non-league showdown with University of Puget Sound. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.