Feb. 17, 2008

Lutes Sweep Doubleheader from Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

Feb. 15 Line Score
Game One Line Score
Game Two Line Score

Ian Opsal - solid first outing

CLAREMONT, Calif. – Finishing off a three-game series against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, the Pacific Lutheran baseball team took two games from the Stags today, 15-5 and 10-6.

Yesterday, the Lutes battled to an 11-11 draw when the game was called on account of darkness. PLU held a 9-7 lead after six innings before adding two runs in the top of the seventh. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps used an error, a walk, a sacrifice fly and three hits, including a two-run triple, to score four times in the bottom of the frame before the game was called.

The Lutes provided plenty of offense in both games of Saturday's twinbill against the Stags. In the opener, PLU scored seven times in the second inning to give starting pitcher Ian Opsal all of the support he needed. Josh Takayoshi drove in a run with a single, and Brandon Sales and Jordan Post followed with consecutive run-scoring doubles. Ryan Frost and Ben Shively later added RBI singles during the inning.

Post finished the game with four hits, three runs scored and two runs batted in, while Shively had a pair of hits, a run scored and one RBI. In all, the Lutes banged out 14 hits and committed just one error on defense for Opsal and relief pitcher Scott Wall. Opsal, who missed all of last season because of injury, allowed two runs on eight hits in seven innings. He also walked just one and struck out four batters. Wall pitched the final two innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on three hits while walking a batter and striking out another.

In the second game, the Lutes collected 12 hits, including four by Sales and two each by Takayoshi and Ryan Aratani. Those hits proved crucial as the Lutes struggled in the field, committing five errors behind a trio of pitchers.

Leading 4-2, the Lutes broke the game open with six runs in the top of the sixth inning. Takayoshi and Aratani ripped bookend two-run doubles around run-scoring singles by Sales and Carl Benton.

Hunter Simpson pitched five innings to pick up the win, allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits. He walked three batters and struck out five. Matt Keller and Paul DiPietro did mop up work for the Lutes. CMS collected a total of 12 hits against the three PLU hurlers.

PLU, 2-0-2 for the season, concludes its California tour tomorrow when it takes on University of Redlands.

- PLU -