Tyler Scott, Director of Athletic Communications
Day 1
The Pacific Lutheran University Baseball Team split a pair of nonconference games Saturday at the Concordia Tournament, defeating Oregon Tech 3-2 in the early game and closing out the day with a 0-3 loss to tournament host Concordia.
Senior Chris Bishop started the first game, allowing two earned runs on six hits with seven strikeouts against Oregon Tech before leaving after 83 pitches with the Lutes and Owls tied 2-2. Senior Jake Otness came in to throw the final three innings, striking out four while allowing only one hit to earn the win.
PLU scored its first run in the top of the second inning, as junior Lee Larson hit a one-out triple to left and came in to score on a groundout by senior Bo Pearson. Oregon Tech tied it up with a run in the bottom of the frame before PLU took advantage of an OIT error to reclaim the lead in the fifth.
The Lutes picked up the eventual game-winner in the top of the eighth. Sophomore Ben Welch opened the inning with a single, and junior Drew Oord reached on a fielder’s choice. Sophomore Jacob Clements singled to right to put runners on the corners, and sophomore Landon Packard drove Oord in from third on a single to right center.
PLU totaled eight hits in the game, although no Lute picked up more than one in the contest. Welch and Packard each added a hit in the Lutes’ second game to give the duo two hits apiece for the day.
The nightcap saw sophomore Kyle Rossman throw seven innings without allowing an earned run, but he took the loss as Concordia drove in three unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Rossman struck out six while allowing only two hits and a walk on 99 pitches. Junior Ty Donahou threw the final frame for the Lutes, striking out two. Quinn Eldridge earned the win for Concordia, allowing only two hits in seven shutout innings. Austin Hadley threw the final two innings to pick up the save.
Concordia scored all three of its runs in the fourth inning. Konner Reddick reached on a throwing error to open the inning and stole second. After a strikeout, a double to right brought Reddick home with the eventual game-winning run. Following another strikeout, the Lutes’ second error of the inning allowed a second unearned run to score. A third error for PLU and a passed ball allowed the Cavaliers’ third run of the inning to score.
Day 2
The Pacific Lutheran University Baseball Team scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning and sophomore Kort Skoda shut down the Corban offense as the Lutes picked up a 4-1 nonconference baseball win over the Warriors Sunday afternoon at the Concordia Tournament at Porter Park.
Pacific Lutheran improved to 5-2 this season with the win, while Corban fell to 6-2.
Skoda limited Corban to one run on four hits in 7.1 innings to earn his second win of the season.
Junior Cory Nelson came in to pick up the final five outs, retiring every batter he faced to notch his first save of the year.
Senior Collin Nilson led PLU with three hits in four at bats, while sophomore Jacob Clements tallied a pair of hits and junior Tyler Thompson drove in two runs for the Lutes.
PLU got on the board with three runs in the top of the fourth. Sophomore Kory VanderStaay opened the rally with a one-out walk and advanced to third on a single to right center by junior Drew Oord. Nilson singled to left to score the Lutes’ first run and put runners at first and second, and Oord followed by stealing third. Thompson stepped to the plate and drove a double to right center to score both runners and put the Lutes up 3-0.
Corban got its lone run of the day in the bottom of the fifth. Landon Frost tripled to center and Ryan Rosas brought him home with a sacrifice fly. The Lutes added one more in the top of the ninth. Senior Curtis Wildung walked and stole second before coming in to score on a single to left field by Brett Johnson.
Caleb Henry started for Corban and took the loss after allowing three runs in four innings pitched. Ryan Wood came in to pitch to start the fifth inning and went the rest of the way for the Warriors.
Day 3
Junior Tyler Thompson doubled in two runs with two outs as Pacific Lutheran University scored three in the top of the ninth inning to defeat Corban 4-2 in a nonconference baseball game Monday afternoon at Wilsonville High School.
Pacific Lutheran’s second win in two days against Corban improved the Lutes’ record to 6-2, while the Warriors fell to 6-3. The Lutes open Northwest Conference play this weekend against fourth-ranked Linfield with a three-game series in Linfield. The series begins with a doubleheader Saturday at 11 a.m.
Sophomore Ben Welch and junior Brett Johnson each tallied a pair of hits to lead the Lutes, with Johnson adding a walk and scoring a pair of runs in the win.
Thompson drove in the two runs in the ninth, including what proved to be the game-winner, with his double in the ninth.
Junior Garrett Brown started for the Lutes and pitched 5.2 innings while allowing only two runs. Junior Cory Nelson pitched the final 3.1 innings to earn the win one day after picking up a save in a PLU win over Corban.
Corban scored its two runs in the bottom of the third. The Warriors opened the inning with a pair of singles, and following a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners a single through the left side scored both to make it 2-0 Corban.
PLU got one back in the top of the fifth. Johnson opened the inning with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. He came in to score on a passed ball to set the score at 2-1.
Neither team could find a way to score again until the top of the ninth inning. Senior Collin Nilson doubled to right with one out, and senior Bo Pearson entered as a pinch runner at second. Johnson hit an infield single and sophomore Kory VanderStaay flied out to set the stage for Thompson’s two-out two-RBI double to left center. Senior Kit Banko came through with a base hit to drive Thompson home and put PLU up 4-2.
The Lutes take on Linfield, Feb. 21 at 12 p.m.
Article taken from golutes.com
