LEWISTON, Idaho - Exploding for four runs in the top of the ninth inning, the Pacific Lutheran University Lutes stunned the George Fox University Bruins, who had come back from an early two-run deficit of their own, 6-4 in the first game of the Inland Cellular Baseball Tournament Friday afternoon here at Lewis-Clark State College's Harris Field.
The Lutes took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the third when Corey Moore followed a Nicholas Hall single with a home run down the right-field line, his second of the season, off George Fox right-hander Brian Ranta, who was trying for his Northwest Conference-leading ninth win. Moore went 4-for-4 off the Bruins' ace, which was half the total he allowed in 7.1 innings of work.
The Bruins were stymied through five innings by PLU righty Max Beatty before tying the game in the sixth. Eric Gantenbein and Derek Aldrich singled to start the inning, but Derek Blankenship forced Gantenbein at third while trying to sacrifice. After a fly out sent Aldrich to third, Derek Dixon picked up his first collegiate hit with a double to left that scored both runners to tie the game 2-2.
In the seventh, the Bruins went ahead as Nate Hickok tripled off the wall in right and Sam Stahl singled to left to drive him home. Gantenbein greeted reliever Nic Delikat with a single that sent Stahl to third, from where he scored on Aldrich's sacrifice fly to center.
In the PLU eighth, Brock Gates singled with one out and Ryan Aratani was safe on a grounder to first when Ranta missed the bag covering on the play for an error. Jacob Brown (2-2) came in at that point and got consecutive ground outs to escape the jam, but could not dodge the Lutes' bullets in the ninth.
Zack Halverson singled to start PLU's winning rally, Hall was hit by a pitch, and Moore walked to load the bases with none out. Jaron Iwakami singled to left to score pinch runner Jacob Olsufka, but Hall was nailed at the plate on a throw from Aldrich, with Moore and Iwakami going to third and second. Dan Johansen was intentionally walked, but Gates foiled the strategy with a sacrifice fly to center. Aratani then doubled to right to drive in the two go-ahead runs.
Ryan Frost took over on the mound for the Lutes in the ninth and gave up a lead-off single to Hickok, but got a 6-4-3 double play and a ground out to notch his fifth save. The winner was Scott McGallian, who picked up his first victory of the season when he got a pair of outs in the eighth in relief of Delikat.
Hickok and Gantenbein led a 12-hit George Fox attack with three hits each, while Winterstein and Stahl had two apiece. In addition to Moore's four hits, Gates and Halverson had two each for the Lutes.
NEXT: George Fox (25-12) will play tournament host Lewis-Clark State (34-13 and No. 12 in the NAIA), which met Linfield College in Friday's second game, Saturday at 12:00 noon. Pacific Lutheran (19-18) and Linfield (29-8) will square off at 3:00 p.m. Saturday.