ANTHEM, Ariz. – Remaining unbeaten on the
young season after three games in the Arizona Desert Baseball
Classic, the George Fox University Bruins exploded for four runs in
the seventh inning to overtake the University of La Verne Leopards
for a 9-7 win Saturday here at Boulder Creek High School.
The Leopards jumped out to a 4-1 lead after two innings as Bruin
starter Joey Clancy struggled with his control early on, walking
three and hit two batters. However, he settled down to throw
1-2-3 innings from the third through the fifth, giving his batting
order time to catch up.
The Bruins knotted the game 4-4 with three runs in the
third. Todd Nagamine doubled, Dan Winterstein walked, and Sam
Stahl singled to load the bases before Eric
Gantenbein laced a two-run double. Stahl scored the
tying run as Josh Rapacz grounded out to short.
La Verne went ahead with two in the sixth, knocking out Clancy,
who finished with seven hits and six runs allowed while fanning
four. The Bruins got a run in the home half to trail 6-5,
then the Leopards got one in the seventh for a 7-5 advantage before
the final George Fox explosion.
Winterstein began the winning rally with a double and Taylor
Hunted walked. After a double steal, both runners scored to
tie the game when Gantenbein's shot to second was booted for
an error. Gantenbein tallied the go-ahead marker when a
Rapacz grounder to short was thrown away. Derek Aldrich then
walked before Derek Blankenship hit a low liner toward right.
Aldrich, believing the shot had been caught by the first baseman,
was forced out 9-6 at second, with Rapacz advancing to third, from
where he scored the final run on Nate Hickok's infield hit to
third.
Kyle Albertson (1-0) worked 2.2 innings in relief of Clancy to
get the win, allowing two hits and a run with three strikeouts and
one walk. Jacob Brown gave up a hit to La Verne in the ninth
but otherwise had little trouble picking up his first save of the
season.
The Leopards allowed 10 hits to the Bruins, with reliever
Anthony Cerafice taking the loss. Winterstein and Hickok had
two hits apiece for the Bruins. Jason Munoz was 3-for-3 for
La Verne, while Jacob Ludvik was 2-for-3 with two walks and two
stolen bases.
On Sunday, George Fox (3-0) takes on Concordia University-Texas,
a 10-6 winner over Whitman College, at 10:00 a.m. La Verne
will play Pacific Lutheran University in a doubleheader Sunday at
9:00 a.m.
