NEWBERG, Ore. – On a frigid
Saturday afternoon here at Morse Field, the George Fox University
Bruins continued their season-opening hot streak, knocking the
Concordia University-Portland Cavaliers cold and improving to 9-0
on the season with a non-conference baseball doubleheader sweep,
7-0 and 9-3.
In the opener, George Fox hurlers Brian Ranta, Andrew Snyder,
and Kyle Albertson combined to blank the Cavaliers. Ranta
(3-0) worked the first six innings, allowing three hits while
striking out five and walking none. Snyder in two innings and
Albertson in one surrendered one hit apiece.
The Bruins jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning against
Concordia starter Larsen Kohler (0-1). Dan
Winterstein and Taylor Hunter singled to lead off and were
sacrificed to second by Sam Stahl. Winterstein scored on Eric
Gantenbein's ground out to second, and Hunter came in on an
error at second on Derek Aldrich's grounder.
In the second, John Mountz was hit by a pitch, Winterstein
doubled him home, and Hunter singled in Winterstein. In the
fifth, Winterstein was hit by a pitch, stole second, moved to third
on a ground out, and scored on Stahl's sacrifice fly.
The Bruins closed out the scoring with a pair of tainted tallies in
the seventh, Winterstein scoring on a Stahl double and Hunter
crossing over on a Gantenbein grounder.
In the nightcap, Bruin pitchers limited to Cavaliers to only
four hits while the George Fox offense pounded out 12 safeties and
rallied from an early 2-0 deficit.
Concordia scored off Bruin starter Brian Davis in the first when
Odie Hollingshed drew a lead-off walk and scored on Sean
Myrom's home run to left. The Bruins responded
immediately in the home half as Hunter singled, Stahl doubled him
home, and Gantenbein singled to tie it. After stealing
second, Gantenbein went to third on an error at second and scored
the go-ahead run on Todd Nagamine's sacrifice fly to short
right.
The Bruins salted the game by sending 11 batters to the plate in
the fourth, scoring six runs with five hits and benefitting from
four Concordia errors. The big hit of the inning was a
two-run single by Aldrich.
Davis went three innings for the Bruins, allowing only two hits
while fanning four but walking four. Clay Gartner (1-0)
followed with four innings of one-hit shutout relief, striking out
two and walking one, to pick up the win. Joey Clancy and
Jacob Brown mopped up with an inning apiece, Brown closing the game
by striking out the last two Cavaliers.
Steven Taft (1-2) took the loss for Concordia, allowing 10 hits
in four innings and nine runs, but only three were earned.
NEXT: George Fox is scheduled to play the
University of Portland at the NCAA Division I team's Joe
Etzel Field Sunday at 2:00 p.m., weather and field conditions
permitting.
