Beatty, Wetzler blank Kitsap BlueJackets 1-0.

Pitchers Max Beatty (pictured) and Ben Wetzler combined on a 5-hit shutout and the Knights blanked Kitsap 1-0 to move into first place in the WCL West Division.

Beatty (3-0) went the first seven innings, spaced five singles and struck out five, with no walks. Wetzler retired six of the seven hitters he faced to complete the game in an efficient 1:57 on a rainy night at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds.

The Knights (11-7) thus moved .002 percentage points ahead of Kitsap (14-9) in the four-way West Division pennant race. Bend and Cowlitz are tied for third, 1.5 games back at 10-9.

A junior-to-be who was the ace of the Pacific Lutheran staff this spring, Beatty threw 66 strikes in 88 pitches and lowered his ERA to a sparkling 1.75. He also made several fine fielding plays to keep the BlueJackets at bay.

"Once we got that one run I could cruise through it and trust my defense, keep pumping strikes and let them handle it," Beatty said. "I just wanted to establish the fastball before anything.

"Once the fastball came through, I just kept throwing strikes with it and the off-speed works off the fastball every time. Pitch to contact, and trust (the defense). They know what they�re doing."

Beatty saved his own shutout in the fifth. With Mitch Bluman at second after a walk and a sacrifice, Evan Potter ripped a line drive up the middle that appeared destined for an RBI single to center. However, Beatty speared it in the webbing of his glove for the second out; he then got leadoff hitter Cole Norton on a groundout to end the inning.

Kitsap so had runners at the corners with two outs in the sixth but a fielder�s choice ended the threat. They had only one baserunner thereafter.

Beatty was 5-4, 3.75 in 11 starts for the Lutes this spring and threw a career- and staff-high 81.2 innings.

"Being able to get that many innings in, my arm is used to that now and I know the starter's role," he said. "Just jumping right into summer and picking it up from there is really nice."

The Knights scored the only run in the second. Kramer Scott led off with a single, moved to third on Sean Myrom's double, and scored on David Armendariz�s ground out to short.

The Knights had only two hits the rest of the way, but Beatty and Wetzler made the run stand up. Wetzler threw 18 strikes in 24 pitches, got four of his six outs on ground balls and has not given up a run in 4.2 relief innings. It was his first save.

The series resumes at 6:35 p.m. on Tuesday, weather permitting. Right-hander Mitch Patito of UC Riverside (0-0, 3.00) will start for the Knights, opposed by Blake Golding (2-0, 1.93) of Utah for Kitsap.

The Knights' next home game is a Block 15 Thursday on June 30 against the two-time defending WCL-champion Wenatchee AppleSox. It's also Albany Night, presented by Samaritan Health Services, and Halloween in June; all fans are encouraged to come in costume.