SALEM, Ore. – Right-hander Brian Ranta hurled a five-hit shutout and the George Fox University batters exploded for 17 hits off six Willamette University pitchers as the Bruins captured the rubber game of their three-game Northwest Conference baseball series with the Bearcats 14-0 Sunday afternoon here at John Lewis Field. 

Ranta (3-2) went the nine-inning distance to become the top winner on the Bruin staff, striking out six and walking two.  He got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 1st and stranded two runners in scoring position in the 6th with strikeouts both times, and was in complete control in every other inning.

The Bruin batting order gave Ranta all the run support he would need before he even took the mound, scoring five in the top of the 1st.  Josh Burch opened the game with a single off Willamette starter Jerris Van Hess (0-3) and Michael Woo reached on an error by Doug Bloom at short that sent Burch to third and would eventually make all the runs unearned.  Burch was thrown out at home on Sam Stahl's grounder to third and Seth Anderson lined out to right, but Jason Brown singled in a run, Dan Winterstein was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Brent Trask delivered a two-run double to left.  Eric Gantenbein capped the frame with a two-run single.

Burch doubled and scored an unearned run in the 2nd, and Trask hit his third home run of the season to right center in the 3rd.  The Bruins all but iced the game with four in the 4th, Gantenbein and Burch each collecting two-run singles.  Perry Knudson singled in a run and Cody Curtin picked up an RBI by walking with the sacks filled in the 7th, and Brown closed out the Bruin scoring with an RBI single in the 8th.

Brown led the Bruin attack with a 4-for-6 day, scoring twice and driving in two.  Burch and Gantenbein each went 3-for-4, Burch driving in two and Gantenbein four, while Trask was 2-for-3 with a double, home run, three runs scored, and three RBIs. 

George Fox (12-9, NWC 5-4) hosts Whitman College in a conference series next weekend, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday at 12:00 noon.  Willamette (6-11, NWC 3-6) visits Pacific Lutheran University for three conference games next weekend also, opening with a pair on Saturday at noon.