It was a battle on the on the baseball field in Tacoma over the weekend as the Boxers hit the road for a four-game series against Pacific Lutheran and played four tight contests with three of the four games decided by just one-run each.
The Boxers snagged a pair of wins on Saturday claiming 8-6 and 4-3 victories, while on Sunday Pacific Lutheran responded with 11-7 and 3-2 wins to split the four-game series.
Series opened up on Saturday with the Boxers wasting little time getting on the board scoring two runs in the first inning which included a solo home run by
Jordan Hara. Boxers tacked on a run in the sixth and led 3-0 until the Lutes scored their first run in the bottom of the seventh. Both teams would then open up the scoring in the eighth as the Boxers plated three runs highlighted by an RBI double from
Tanner Johnson but the Lutes answered with five runs to tie the game at 6-6. In the ninth the Boxers pushed a pair of runs across the board and
Derek Eubanks came in to pitch and helped shut the door on the 8-6 win pitching a scoreless ninth.
Hara led the Boxer 12-hit attack in the contest going 3-5 with three RBI, a home run, and three runs scored, while Johnson,
Chase Anderson, and
Brad Altomare all had two hits.
Will Clark tossed a strong six and one-third innings as the starter giving up just one run on five hits and five walks.
Game two saw the Lutes captured the lead first plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the third, but Boxers got on the board in the fourth on an RBI single by
Tyler Quinn and then tallied three runs in the sixth which included a
Ryan Krout solo home run. Leading 4-2 the Boxers need just three-outs to record the win but Pacific Lutheran didn't go down easily as they scored a run in the bottom of the seventh and had the tying run on but the Boxers finished out the game and earned the 4-3 win.
Krout, Quinn and Anderson each had a two-hit contest to pace the Boxer offense while
Kahi Bisho tossed all seven innings to earn the win giving up just three runs on five hits and one walk.
Sunday, game one saw a big eight run bottom of the third inning by Pacific Lutheran that featured two home runs be the deciding factor in the game despite the Boxers best efforts to stay in the contest. Trailing 11-4 in the top of the ninth Pacific was able to cut into the Lutes lead by scoring three runs but it wasn't enough as the Boxers fell 11-7.
Anderson was 2-4 with an RBI and run scored in the loss, while Johnson was 1-4 with three RBI's, a home run, run scored.
The final game of the series was just like both games on Saturday decided by one run and decided late in the contest. Boxers tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second on an RBI double by Johnson and then again tied the game at 2-2 with a Hara home run in the sixth. Tied 2-2 the game went to the seventh inning and the Boxers were unable to score in the top half of the frame but the Lutes found a way to get a run in the bottom of the seventh to snag the 3-2 win.
Quinn was 2-3 with a run scored to lead the Boxer offense, while Anderson, Hara, Altomare and Johnson each registered a hit, also.
Boxers continue their season with more Northwest Conference action on Saturday and Sunday, March 20th and 21st as they host Puget Sound for a four-game series.
