PORTLAND, Ore.—Lewis & Clark College baseball used a 10-run bottom of the fourth inning, to secure a series victory over league-leading Pacific Lutheran University on Sunday afternoon at the Huston Sports Complex. 

With the win, the Pioneers picked up their first home, conference series victory of the season and tied their season-high by moving three games above .500 (15-12).

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KEY MOMENTS GAME ONE: LEWIS & CLARK 13-7

Lewis & Clark sent 15 batters to the plate in the fourth inning and scored 10 runs on seven hits, two hit by pitches and two walks. The hosts went into the inning trailing 3-2 and flipped the game on it's head, as they took a 12-3 advantage into the final five innings. 

Sophomore Luke Bass had a huge day out of the cleanup spot. The left fielder went 2-5 with two runs, a team-best four RBI, a double and a home run. On two occasions, the Lutes pitched around Jack Thomson to get to Bass and the left fielder came through with a two-run hit to make the visitors pay. 

Freshman Brennen Davis chipped in a double, two runs scored, three RBI and a walk. Junior right fielder Mason Lee went 1-2 with two runs, two RBI and a walk. Justin Cavagnaro and Jack Savant each finished with two hits, one run and one RBI.

On the mound, freshman pitcher Casey Parsons went 6.2 innings and allowed 10 hits, two walks and six runs (five earned) to improve to 2-1. He also struck out three batters 

Junior Noah Ferruggia came on in relief and for the second time this week completely shut down a conference foe. The southpaw threw the final 2.1 innings and limited the Lutes to five hits and one unearned run.

Sunday's game appeared to be shaping up to a back-and-forth tight rubber match to decide the series.

The Lutes struck for a single run in the second and third innings to grab a 2-0 lead. The damage could have been worse, but the Pioneers new-look middle infield of shortstop Jack Savant and second baseman Blake Tellinghusen turned a 4-6-3 double play to help Parsons get out of the second inning.

In the third, Thomson was intentionally walked with two outs and Bass followed with a two-run blast over the high fence in right field to tie the score.

Pacific Lutheran retook the lead in the fourth when they capitalized on a leadoff error to take a 3-2 lead.

That lead wouldn't even last one batter. Lee opened the fourth inning with a towering home run to right field to set the tone for the Pioneers.

Tellinghusen followed with a bunt single and Davis was hit by a pitch to end the day for the Lutes starter. Savant followed with a single to load the bases and the Lutes reliever walked Thomson to give the Pioneers a 4-3 edge. Bass greeted the second reliever of the inning with a two-run double off the top of the wall in right to push the advantage to 6-3. Zack Kon loaded the bases back up with a hit by pitch and Will Heron became the eight-straight Pioneers batter to reach with an RBI single down the right field line.

Pacific Lutheran retired two of the next three batters to almost get out of the jam, but Davis ripped a bases-clearing double over the head of the right fielder to make it 11-3. Savant chipped in his second hit of the inning, an RBI single to left, to cap off the 10-run frame. In total, the Pioneers sent 15 batters to the plate against four different Lutes pitchers.

The game would stay 12-3 until the seventh, when Pacific Lutheran used a two-out rally to score three runs and end Parsons' day.

Lewis & Clark came back with one run in the bottom of the inning. Heron was hit by a pitch and raced to third on a Cavagnaro double. Lee plated Heron easily with a sac fly to center. 

Pacific Lutheran tried to mount a rally in the ninth. With two outs, they recorded three-straight singles to get a run back, but Ferruggia settled in and induced a grounder to short to end the game. 

DEEPER LOOK

• Lewis & Clark matched the 2021 team for the most conference victories (nine) since the team went 12-20 in conference play in 2008.
• The Pioneers 10-run fourth inning was their second double-digit inning of the season. Lewis & Clark scored 11 runs in the top of the seventh in game two against Caltech on February 12.
• Thomson walked in each of his first four trips to the plate. With 11 games to go in the regular season, Thomson currently is on pace to set the program record in a single-season for batting average (.463) and slugging percentage (1.032). He also ranks: second in doubles (16), tied for third in home runs (12), tied for fifth in runs (45) and seventh in walks (28) for a single-season. 
• Lewis & Clark used a new-look middle infield due to several injuries. Second baseman Jack Savant made his first career start at shortstop and catcher Blake Tellinghusen made his first start at second base.
• With his four RBI, Bass retook the team lead for RBI (35) and sits tied for ninth in a single-season in runs driven in.
• Lewis & Clark sits in sixth place in the Northwest Conference with six NWC games left. The Pioneers (9-9) are a half-game behind fourth and fifth-place George Fox University (8-7) and Linfield University (8-7). Only the top four teams qualify for the NWC Tournament.

LOOKING AHEAD  

The Pioneers will travel to Tacoma, Washington next weekend for a huge three-game, conference set against seventh-place University of Puget Sound (7-8). The two teams will meet at Noon and 3 p.m. on Saturday and play a single game on Sunday (Noon).