March 2, 2008

PLU Pitchers Lead the Way as Lutes Sweep Lewis & Clark

Game One
Game Two

Hadley Schmitt

Rachel Wheeler-Hoyt

PORTLAND, Ore. - Hadley Schmitt and Rachel Wheeler-Hoyt both threw complete games to lead Pacific Lutheran (6-4 overall, 4-0 NWC) to a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader sweep of the host Lewis & Clark Pioneers (1-5 overall, 1-3 NWC) on Sunday afternoon.

The Lutes defeated the Pioneers 5-1 in the opener and 8-2 in the second game.

Schmitt went the seven-inning distance to improve her record to 4-2 this season, allowing an unearned run on four hits while walking one and striking out three.

The Pioneers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but the Lutes responded with two runs in the second and three more in the fourth. With two out in the second, Carly Starke singled and stole second, and Crystal Reno followed with an infield base hit. Both runners scored on Sheila Reiten's triple. In the fourth, Stephanie Mullen hit a double and Starke followed with a single. Mullen scored on a wild pitch and after a two-out walk to Reiten, Missy Waldron knocked in the final two runs with a triple.

The Lutes finished the game with 10 hits including three by Starke and two each by Waldron and Heather Walling.

In the second game, Wheeler-Hoyt gave up two runs, one earned, on seven hits while walking one and fanning three.

She got plenty of offensive support as the Lutes clubbed 10 more hits, including two each by Reiten, Wheeler-Hoyt and Vanessa Bryant. PLU also benefited from shoddy Lewis & Clark defense as only one of the eight runs was earned.

After playing 10 games on the road, the Lutes finally play their first home games of the season next weekend when they host the Whitworth Pirates in a four-game Northwest Conference series. The teams will play a pair of doubleheaders starting at noon on both Saturday and Sunday.

- PLU -