WALLA WALLA, Wash. — The Pacific Lutheran University baseball team had leads in both games but came up empty handed in both, suffering a pair of setbacks to host Whitman College on Sunday at Borleske Stadium. The host Blues prevailed 12-6 in the opener to close out and win the Northwest Conference series before stealing a 7-6 non-league win in the nightcap.

Carson Burke got the Lutes (12-22, 9-12 NWC) started in the first inning of game one, belting a two-RBI triple to score Kyle Tat and Rochne Beecham.

The Blues (14-22-1, 8-13 NWC) scored a run in the bottom of the frame before a Braden Lundberg single scored Kaleb McNeely in the second inning, making it 3-1.
 
Whitman tied the game at three in the fourth with a two-run home run but a two-RBI double from McNeely followed by a Lundberg RBI single made it 6-3 PLU.

Whitman exploded for eight runs in the seventh inning, taking the lead on a grand slam before adding another run in the eighth for the 12-6 win.

McNeely was on fire, finishing four-for-four with two RBIs and two runs scored while Ethan Keintz, Lundberg, Tat, and Rutger Youch all had a pair of hits.

Chris Moreno absorbed the decision on the hill, striking out six in three innings of long relief. 
 
PLU surged to a 5-0 lead early in game two but the pesky Blues battled back to take the non-conference game 7-6.

A Youch two-run home run started things off in the first inning before making it 3-0 in the second on a Brody Phinney RBI single, scoring Carson Burke. A Chase Pringle home run later in the second plated two, giving the Lutes the 5-0 edge.

Whitman pushed across a run in the bottom of the second before adding two in the third and four in the fourth to take the win in the seven inning affair. 
 
Lundberg finished three-for-three while Youch and Pringle both had a pair of hits.

The Lutes host University of Puget Sound on Saturday, beginning a four-game homestand to close the regular season. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 12 p.m.