ANTHEM, Ariz. - Home runs by a pair of George Fox University newcomers - a solo shot by Josh Rapacz and a grand slam by Sam Stahl - highlighted a five-run 2nd inning that propelled the Bruins to a 10-7 win over the Whittier College Poets on the final day of play in the Arizona Desert Baseball Classic Sunday afternoon here at Boulder Creek High School.

Down 3-0 heading into the top of 2nd, freshman Rapacz got the Bruins on the board with his first collegiate home run.  Later in the frame, Stahl, a junior transfer from Chemeketa Community College, connected for his first round-tripper with the sacks filled to give the Bruins a 5-3 lead.

After the Poets tied it 5-5, the Bruins went back ahead with single runs in the 5th and 6th innings.  Stahl singled, stole second, was sacrificed to third, and scored on Seth Anderson's single in the 5th.  In the next frame, Rapacz walked, moved up on a ground out, and scored on a base hit by Eric Gantenbein. 

Whittier scored twice more in the 6th to make it a 7-7 ballgame before George Fox tallied three times in the 7th and held on for the victory.  Michael Woo singled in Dan Winterstein with the go-ahead run, and after Rapacz reached on an error that put runners at second and third, Derek Aldrich delivered both runners with a single.

Right-hander Brian Ranta (1-0) worked the first six innings for the Bruins and picked up the win when the Bruins broke the tie for good in the 7th.  Southpaw Tyler Richwine threw a scoreless bottom of the 7th, then Chad Jones came on for the final two innings, shutting out the Poets to pick up his first save of the season and eighth of his career, two short of the Bruin record of 10 by Nick Hedgecock.

Stahl collected three hits for the Bruins, while Winterstein and Gantenbein had two safeties apiece.

George Fox finished with a 2-2 record in the tournament, which was the Bruins' season-opening series.  Whittier fell to 1-3 in the Classic and is 1-7 overall.

NOTES: Northwest Conference schools Pacific Lutheran University and Linfield College both finished 4-0 in the Arizona Desert Classic, while Whitman College went 0-4 ... George Fox was ranked 18th in the Collegiate Baseball pre-season poll and 19th in the D3baseball.com poll ... The Bruins will play three games in two days on the University of Portland's Joe Etzel Field this coming weekend.  On Saturday, George Fox meets Concordia University-Portland at 11:00 a.m. and the University of Portland at 2:00 p.m.  On Sunday, the Bruins play Concordia again, also at 11:00 a.m. ... Whittier begins Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play Friday with a single game at 2:30 p.m. at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges.