March 2, 2008

Lutes Split a Pair of 5-4 Decisions With Linfield

Game One
Game Two

Carl Benton - scores winning run

PARKLAND, Wash. – Pacific Lutheran (4-3-2, 2-2 NWC) scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to take the first game, 5-4, before falling in the second game by the same final score when Linfield (6-3, 2-2) rallied to go ahead in the top of the seventh.

The two seven-inning doubleheaders played Sunday at the PLU diamond finished the four-game weekend series between the defending Northwest Conference champion Lutes and the Wildcat team picked by the conference coaches to win the title this season.

After splitting Saturday’s games, the Lutes fell behind early in both games on Sunday as the Wildcats scored in the first inning of each game. The first game was an ugly affair as the teams combined for seven errors, 10 walks, five hit batsmen and five unearned runs.

The first five innings were relatively smoothly as Pacific Lutheran starting pitcher Robert
Bleecker settled down after giving up a first-inning run to hold the Wildcats scoreless in the next four frames. After leadoff hitter Jordan Boustead walked and stole second base, catcher Drew Van Cleave singled to drive home the leftfielder for a 1-0 lead.

The Lutes finally broke through in the fifth inning against Linfield starter Reese McCulley to even the game at 1-1, when first baseman Jordan Post hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and one out to drive home Tyler Libadia.

In the top of the sixth inning, David Bachofner reached after being hit by a Bleecker pitch. An error loaded the bases, and a walk to Kevin Mills forced Bachofner home for the go-ahead run.

In the bottom of the frame, however, the Lutes took advantage of a couple of Wildcats’ defensive miscues to take a 4-2 lead going into the final frame. With the bases loaded and no outs, Kyle Mosbrucker threw a wild pitch that allowed all three PLU runners to advance, tying the score at 2-2. After Matt Akridge walked to load the bases once again, Sam Beatty hit a sacrifice fly to give the Lutes a one-run lead. But after another walk to load the bases, a throwing error by the catcher scored Akridge to give the Lutes a 4-2 lead.

In the top of the final frame, another fielding error by the Lutes allowed runners to reach second and third. Singles by Van Cleave and Bachofner drove home a couple more Linfield runs, tying the game at 4-4 and forcing the Lutes to bat in the bottom of the seventh.

The Lutes started out the bottom of the inning with a couple of walks. Ryan Aratani hit a sharp one-hopper to third baseman Shannon Chung, who was playing in to prevent a bunt. Chung threw to Bachofner covering at third base for the first out, but when Bachofner tried to throw back to first for the double play, his throw was wide and rolled into right field. Carl Benton, running from first on the play, scored the winning run, barely reaching around Van Cleave's tag to touch the plate for the 5-4 victory.

In the second game, the Wildcats scored three runs on three hits in the first inning against Post, the PLU starting pitcher. Cory Ellis hit a double to lead off and Van Cleave drew a walk. Ellis scored on Bachofner's single, and Van Cleave and Bachofner tallied on Rhett Fenton's double. The Lutes tied the game in the third with a pair of two-out runs, the first scoring on a Brandon Sales single and the next two coming in on Post's single to right.

Linfield scored again in the fourth inning, taking advantage of Pacific Lutheran’s only defensive miscue of the second game. The Lutes got the run back in the bottom of the frame when Tyler Goarck singled home Matt Wolford from second base. The game remained tied 4-4 until the seventh inning.

In the top of the seventh, Van Cleave once again came through in the clutch for the Wildcats, hitting a single to drive in Chung with what proved to be the winning run. Joshua Guterman retired the Lutes in order in the bottom of the inning to preserve the victory for Linfield.

Van Cleave led the Wildcats on Sunday with three hits, three runs batted in and one run scored. Centerfielder Ryan Aratani led the Lutes with three hits and two runs, while Post drove in three runs.

Relief pitcher Jeremy Ellison earned the win for the Lutes in the first game, while Trey Watt took the loss in the second. Watt pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up only five hits and one earned run, but served as the tough-luck losing pitcher in a close game.

Pacific Lutheran returns to action on the road next weekend with a pair of doubleheaders at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon.

- PLU -