WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Completing a
game suspended by rain from Saturday with a 12-5 win, then winning
the regularly-scheduled single game 10-2, the George Fox University
Bruins stretched their winning streak to six with a sweep of the
Whitman College Missionaries in Northwest Conference baseball
action Sunday here at Borleske Stadium.
After winning Saturday's first game of a scheduled
doubleheader 15-2, the Bruins built a huge 10-1 lead in the second
game on the strength of two big innings before rain halted play
midway through the sixth.
In the top of the first, the Bruins scored five runs, two of
them unearned, on an RBI single by Sam Stahl, a run-scoring double
by Eric Gantenbein, a sacrifice fly by Zac Israel that was dropped
in center field for a bases-loaded error, a sacrifice fly by Jay
Kirchhoffer, and a run-producing single by Nate
Hickok.
The Bruins got another run in the fifth as Gantenbein doubled
and came in on Derek Blankenship's single, then added four
more in the sixth. Hickok scored the first run of the inning
on a double steal of third when the ball was thrown away,
Gantenbein hit a two-run single, and Israel sent a second sacrifice
fly to right.
The Bruins added two more runs in the seventh to close out their
scoring in the resumed game. Hickok scored on a passed ball,
and Derek Aldrich's grounder scored Dan Winterstein with the
final run.
Gantenbein and Blankenship had three hits apiece and Hickok two
to lead the Bruins' 12-hit attack. Gantenbein scored three
times and drove in three, while Hickok set a new George Fox
single-game record with five stolen bases.
Cameron Young had three hits, including a home run, with two
runs scored and two RBIs to lead the Missionaries at the
plate. Casey Minnick also had two hits for the home team.
George Fox starter Clay Gartner worked the first four innings on
Saturday, allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts and
two walks, before being relieved by Joey Clancy for an
inning. Kyle Albertson (3-1) picked up in the bottom of the
sixth when the game was resumed and was credited with the win,
while Carl Mason threw the ninth. Jake Nelson (2-5) took the
loss for the Missionaries.
In the final game, the Bruins collected 10 hits and took
advantage of the Missionaries' wildness, as Whitman hurlers
walked four and hit a whopping nine batters, including Aldrich
three times and Taylor Hunter and John Mountz twice each.
The Bruins got going with three in the second, Hickok hitting a
two-run triple and then scoring on a Winterstein single. They
added four more in the fifth, the big blow a two-run double by
Israel. Hickok had an RBI single and Winterstein a sacrifice
fly in a two-run seventh, and Stahl singled in the Bruins'
final run in the ninth.
Joey Clancy (2-0) relieved George Fox starter Brian Davis, who
walked three straight batters to start the third, and got the win
with three innings of two-hit shutout relief, striking out four
while walking none. Three other relievers finished up for the
Bruins. Aaron Cohen (0-6), the first of four Whitman hurlers,
suffered the loss.
Stahl had three hits to lead the Bruins in the finale, while
Israel and Hickok had two hits apiece. Hickok scored twice
and drove in three. Whitman had only six hits in the game, no
one getting more than one.
NEXT: George Fox (17-5, NWC 8-4) hosts
Whitworth University for a three-game set next weekend. The
Bruins and Pirates will play a 12:00 noon doubleheader on Saturday,
then a single game Sunday at noon also ... Whitman (3-20, NWC 2-10)
goes to Pacific Lutheran University, playing a twinbill Saturday at
noon and a single Sunday at noon.
