CALDWELL, Idaho - Pacific Lutheran pitchers limited the College of Idaho to just eight total hits on the afternoon, combining for 24 strikeouts, as the Division III Lutes claimed 3-2 and 6-1 victories at Wolfe Field.
PLU (9-4) scratched across a ninth inning run to earn the Game 1 win, while scored the final five runs of Game 2 to complete a sweep.
In the opener, Justin Armbruester struck out 14 men in seven strong innings - earning a 2-0 lead in the third on a Jacob Bockelie two-run single. However, the Yotes (9-13) pulled even in the eighth, as a
Nick Mooney sacrifice fly plated a run, with
Matthew Clay following with a run-scoring single. In the ninth, the Lutes loaded the bases with one out, with pinch hitter Michael Cesar reaching on an infield single, scoring Andy Schmitz with the go-ahead run.
C of I pitchers
Hunter Boyd and
Connor Root combined to allow just three runs on nine hits - but did not get the run support. Matt Franceschina earned the win in relief, going the final inning and two-thirds for the Lutes.
Both teams scored in the first inning of Game 2 - with a Jordan Haworth RBI triple giving PLU the lead, but an
Austin Van Horne RBI single plating Clay with the tying run in the bottom of the frame.
PLU took the lead for good in the fourth - getting an RBI double from Marques Carlson and an RBI single from Justin Gormley. The Lutes added another in the fifth and two eighth inning insurance runs to put the game away.
Justin Tucker worked seven innings of four-hit ball to earn the win, with Gormley recording three hits. C of I starter
Richard Walker took the loss, allowing two earned runs in five innings, while Clay went 2-for-4 for the Yotes.
The two teams wrap up the weekend series tomorrow with an 11 a.m. single-game.
