The Pioneer baseball team lost both games of Satruday's
doubleheader in Tacoma, falling 12-8 (box score) and 8-5 (box score) to the
Pacific Lutheran Lutes. Sam Holman had five hits for the Pioneers.
In game one, the Pioneers plated an early run in the first
inning. Ryan Kostecka (freshman, Napa, Calif.) doubled, coming
around to score on an RBI single by TJ Witkowski (sophomore,
Tooele, Utah). The Lutes put up two in the bottom of the first on a
two-run home run. Roland Greene (freshman, Encinitas, Calif.)
led off the top of the second for the Pioneers with a single,
coming around to score on an RBI by Tucker Laurence (freshman, San
Martin, Calif.) to tie the game 2-2.
After the Lutes took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the third, the
Pioneers came back in the fifth to tie the game for a third time,
4-4. With the bases empty, the Pioneers started a two-out rally
with a single by Jordan Shibata (senior, Pearl City, Hawaii). After
loading the bases, a double down the left field line by Chris
Estrella (senior, Henderson, Nevada) scored the two runs to tie the
game.
The Lutes scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth and two
more in the sixth to go up 8-4. The Pioneers tied the game for the
fourth time in the seventh inning, plating four runs on five hits
including a two RBI pinch-hit singlefrom Jordan Wlodarczyk (junior,
Lake Oswego, Ore.).
The Lutes scored two more runs in the bottom of the seventh and
two in the eighth, holding on for the 12-8 victory.
In game two, the Pioneers once again opened the game with a
first-inning run. Back-to-back two-out doubles by Sam Holman
(freshman, Eugene, Ore.) and AJ Brown (junior, Vancouver, Wash.)
put the Pioneers up 1-0.
The Pioneers went up 3-0 when a pair of doubles by Holman and
Tucker Laurence and a single by Jordan Shibata equate to two runs
for the Pioneers in the third inning. The Lutes scored in the
fourth on a sac fly, making it a 3-1 game.
In the seventh inning, the Lutes scored seven runs on five hits
and two Pioneers errors to take a sudden 8-3 lead.
The Pioneers rallied in the ninth inning. After loading the
bases on a pair of walks and a hit batsman, AJ Brown singled
to drive in one run, leaving the bases loaded with no outs and one
run in. An RBI groundout scored one more run for the Pioneers, but
a double play stopped the rally short, with the Pioneers falling
8-5.
Sam Holman lead the Pioneers with five hits, including three
doubles, in 9 at bats in the two games. AJ Brown was 2-4 with two
runs scored in the second game.
The two teams wrap up the series tomorrow with a pair of seven
inning games between the two teams. First pitch in Tacoma is at 12
noon.
