HILLSBORO, Ore. — Four pitchers combined to allow just one run to help give No. 17 ranked Pacific Lutheran a 3-1 victory over Pacific University in the Boxers' 2016 season opener on Saturday night.
The game was played at Ron Tonkin Field (home of the Hillsboro Hops) as a part of the Oregon Northwest Conference Invitational tournament. The Lutes improved to 1-2 with the win.
PLU's Cory Nelson and Boxer starting pitcher
Eric Purcell locked up in a pitching duel from the outset. The left-hander Nelson gave up just four hits and no runs through four innings, while Purcell allowed just one hit and two walks through the first five stanzas.
Nelson was actually the first pitcher to find trouble on the night. In the bottom of the fifth, Pacific's
Tanner Mansell singled and
Nathan Suyematsu worked a walk to put two runners on with no one out. A passed ball moved Mansell to third. In came Kornegay, who fanned a batter and induced two pop ups to get out of the inning.
After a brilliant beginning, Purcell then ran into problems in the sixth. A lead walk, a throwing error on a pick-off attempt and a single led to the first run of the game on Connor Cantu's sacrifice fly. Purcell's night was done, giving up just one run and three hits.
That 1-0 lead held until the Lutes added two more in the eighth inning. Drew Oord started the rally with a double and later scored on Ben Welch's single. Connor Cantu also crossed the plate on a fielder's choice to give PLU a 3-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Kornegay had cruised through three innings, allowing only a walk and a hit batter. But in the eighth, he tired, giving up back-to-back walks. In came Leif Hansen, who allowed an RBI single off the bat of
Ben Duerr, scoring
Ben Roquet to make it 3-1 going into the ninth.
The Boxers made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth, starting a two-out rally on Suyematsu's walk.
Walker Olis followed with a double, moving Suyematsu to third base. With runners on second and third, Cole Johnson came out of the bullpen to get the final out of the game, preserving PLU's first victory of the season.
Kornegay got the win and Johnson the save. Pursell was the hard-luck loser, despite not giving up an earned run.
Welch had two hits for the Lutes, as did Johnson, who was the designated hitter before becoming the closer. Roquet had two hits for the Boxers, same for Duerr.
Pacific will return to action at Ron Tonkin Field on Sunday at 5 p.m., hosting Puget Sound. The 11 a.m. game features Willamette and Lewis & Clark, and the 2 p.m. contest is L&C against UPS.
