TACOMA, Wash.— The Puget Sound baseball team saw its first multi-homerun game in over a year, but it wasn't enough as the Loggers fell to Saint Martin's 6-3 Wednesday afternoon at Logger Field on the Puget Sound campus in Tacoma, Wash. 

Nathan Backes and Addison Melzer both tagged balls over the fence at Logger Field Wednesday. Backes led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo shot to get the Loggers on the scoreboard, cutting the Saint Martin's lead to one at 2-1. Later on in the frame, Chris Zerio ripped a single to left field to plate Troy Kakugawa, who scored from second base. The run evened the game at 2-all heading into the sixth inning.

The visiting Saints scored one run in both the sixth and seventh frames, but Melzer cut into the Saint Martin's lead to run in bottom of the seventh. With two outs, he deposited a 1-0 pitch just inside the right field foul pole for his first home run of the season. The four-bagger pulled Puget Sound back within one at 4-3 heading into the eighth inning. 

In the top of the eighth, Saint Martin's put runners on the corners with one out. Logger pitcher Steve Wagar tried to pick off Chandler Tracy at first base, but the throw sailed wide of Backes at first base. The error allowed the Saints' Travis Shaw to scamper home for an insurance run. The Saints tacked on one more later in the inning when Tracy scored on a sacrifice fly by Zach Larson.

Puget Sound tried to rally back in the bottom of the frame by putting its first two runners on base. Zerio led the frame off with another single to left while Connor Savage doubled to right center to move Zerio to third. After Jeff Walton field out to left field, Lucas Stone and Backes both struck out to end the Logger threat. 

Both teams got base runners in the ninth inning, but the score held at 6-3.

Backes, Zerio, and Savage all tallied two hits apiece to lead the Loggers while they collected nine hits as a team. On the mound, Jarrod Beiser was the first pitcher up in the Loggers' pitcher-by-committee, throwing 2.2 innings while striking out four. Chris Moreno and Walton saw scoreless appearances for the Loggers while David Torigoe took the loss after allowing one run in the sixth inning.

For Saint Martin's, Zach Larson went 3-for-4, scoring two runs and knocking in one RBI. Starter Josh Moss was effective on the mound, going 7.0 innings and allowing three runs on seven hits. He picked up the win, his first of the season. They are back in action Tuesday, April 15, in a home game against Pacific Lutheran. 

With the loss, the Loggers drop to 7-17 in the year. They return to Northwest Conference action April 12-13 with a three-game series against Lewis & Clark. The Loggers and the Pioneers will play a doubleheader on Saturday, April 12, with first pitch slated for 12:00 p.m., again on Logger Field in Tacoma.