Lutes Wins Third Game Of Series With Complete Game Performance
Box Score
TACOMA, Wash. – Pacific Lutheran received their second straight complete game pitching performance for a win Sunday and used a four-run first inning to knock off Pacific 6-1 in baseball action at the PLU Field.
The Lutes' Scott Wall pitched his second straight complete game victory, allowing one run on five hits and a walk with 11 strikeouts to improve his record to 3-0. Pitchers who turned in complete game performances won all three games of the series.
Pacific (12-7, 8-4 NWC) did not get their first hit until the fourth inning and would not scored until the eighth inning when
Trux French (So., Kennewick, Wash.) came home on a sacrifice fly. French was one of five Pacific batters to get a hit in the contest.
Pacific Lutheran (7-9, 3-3 NWC) received a 3 for 4 effort at the plate by Ryan Frost. Jacob Hoffman, Brock Gates and Dan Johansen each had two hits.
The Lutes worked quickly to give Wall some run support, putting up four in the first inning. Hoffman doubled with one out and the next two batters walked, allowing Ryan Aratani to deliver a two-run single to center field. Frost followed with a single to right to score Gates and Zack Halverson poked one through the left side of the infield to plate Aratani.
Things stayed quiet until the fifth when Johansen singled to score Gates. The Lutes scored their final run in the sixth without the benefit of a hit as Jaron Iwakami walked, stole second, advanced to third on a fly out and scored on a sacrifice fly.
French opened the Pacific eighth by doubling to right field. He advanced to third on a single by
Logan Moen (So., Brier, Wash.) and then scored on a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter
Nick Tasaka (Hawaii Kai, Hawaii). Moen reached second when
Kevin Schwartz (Jr., Milwaukie, Ore.) was hit by a pitch, but Wall coaxed
Jared Van Hoon (Jr., Lake Oswego, Ore.) into a fly out to end the inning. French and Moen were the only Pacific players to advance past first base all afternoon.
Chad Fahey (Jr., Keizer, Ore.) took the loss to fall to 2-2 on the season. He allowed five runs on 10 hits with four walks and a strikeout in 4.2 innings of work.
Pacific will take the next weekend off from Northwest Conference play. The Boxers will head south to the Bay Area for a four-game series with NAIA foe Menlo. The first game of the series is Friday at 3:30 p.m
