March 8, 2008

Boxers Sweep Lutes in Conference Doubleheader

Game One
Game Two

PORTLAND, Ore. ­ Pacific used a six-hit afternoon from Jeff Johnston and a four-hit pitching performance from Blaine Knuth to sweep defending Northwest Conference champion Pacific Lutheran in a baseball doubleheader Saturday at Joe Etzel Field.

In the opener, Johnston scored two runs, including one on Nick McNeely's game-winning homer to score a 4-3 first game victory. In the nightcap, Knuth held the Lutes to just four hits in eight innings of work as the Boxers posted an 11-1 victory.

The victories improved Pacific to 4-6 on the season, 3-3 NWC, while the Lutes dropped to 4-5-2, 2-4 NWC. The games, originally scheduled to be played at Pacific's new Chuck Bafaro Stadium, was moved to the Univ. of Portland campus due to construction delays.

Pacific came out on top of a first game that developed into a pitcher's duel between starters Sean Dickey and PLU's Hunter Simpson. Dickey lasted six innings, allowing two runs on two hits with five strikeouts, while Simpson allowed two runs on two hits with three strikeouts
in five innings. Both hurlers took no decisions.

The Lutes opened scoring in the top of the second when Matt Akridge hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot over the left field wall. The Boxers took both back in third when Andrew Curtin scored on a passed ball and Kyle Barksdale's sacrifice fly scored Johnston.

After three scoreless frames, the Lutes took a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh when Ryan Aratani scored on Josh Takayoshi¹s sacrifice fly. McNeely gave Pacific the lead with his first home run of the year, a two-run shot to right that put the Boxers up 4-3.

Pacific Lutheran had Carl Benton on at second as the potential tying run in the top of eighth when Akridge singled, but the Boxers hung up Benton in a rundown as he rounded third to end the inning.

Tyler Fransen earned the win for Pacific in relief of Dickey, allowing one run on two hits with two strikeouts in three innings of work. Paul DiPietro took the loss for PLU, allowing two runs on three hits with on strikeouts in two innings. Johnston led Pacific offensively by going 3-for-4 with two runs. Akridge's two hits and two runs batted in paced the Lutes.

PLU opened scoring once again in the nightcap when Aratani scored on a single by Akridge. Pacific answered back with four in the home half of the frame. Johnston opened the inning with a double and scored on Zach Gantenbein's single. McNeely then singled and Matt Hendryx cleared the bases with his third home run of the season to straight away center field. Pacific added two more with two outs in the bottom of the second on a bases loaded single by Hendryx that scored Johnston and Gantenbein.

Knuth earned the victory by allowing just the one run on four hits and four walks with four strikeouts in eight innings. Bret Handy took the loss for the PLU, allowing six runs on four hits with two walks in 1 2/3 innings of work. Johnston, Gantenbein and Hendryx all had three hits for the Boxers, while Akridge finished with two hits to lead PLU.

The two teams will finish their four-game NWC series with a pair of seven-inning games Sunday at Joe Etzel Field beginning at 11 a.m.

(Courtesy of Pacific Sports Information Office.)