March 17, 2007

Lutes Punch Out Boxers, 4-2, in NWC Baseball

Line Score

TACOMA, Wash. - Pacific Lutheran won the first of a three-game Northwest Conference baseball series against Pacific on Saturday, 4-2, as the Lutes returned home for the first time in nearly a month.

The second game was suspended by rain after three complete innings with the Lutes leading, 5-1. That game will be completed starting at noon on Sunday, followed by the third game of the series.

The Lutes fell behind early 1-0 in the top of the second inning, but reigning NWC Pitcher of the Year Joe DiPietro would settle down and give up only three hits and one run in eight innings of work while striking out eight Boxers.

With the win, the Lutes improve to 2-2 in the Northwest Conference and to 11-5 overall. They will face Pacific two more times this weekend, weather permitting. Next Wednesday, they will face cross-town rival Puget Sound in a nine-inning non-conference contest.

Pacific took the lead in the second when Nick McNeely led off with a double and eventually scored on a ground out by Scott Yasumoto.

The Lutes struggled offensively up until the bottom of the fourth inning when Jordan Post led off with a hit by pitch, followed by consecutive hits by Justin Whitehall and Logan Andrews. Andrews’ double to the right field gap drove in Post and then a sacrifice fly by Chris Bowen put the Lutes up 2-1.

The very next inning Jared Simon, Roger Guzman and Ryan Thorne would start the inning off with three consecutive singles. Thorne drove in the third run of the game when he singled to right field. Tyler Green then drove in the Lutes’ fourth and final run of the game with a clutch single to left field with two outs and a 3-2 count.

Justin Whitehall earned the save for the Lutes, pitching the ninth inning while giving up one run on one hit and two walks. He now has three saves on the season for the Lutes.

Derek Haner suffered the loss, his first against one win, for the Boxers.

- PLU -