WEST LINN, Ore. – Down 4-0 after
five innings, the Whitworth University Pirates got a
momentum-changing three-run home run from Nick Ashley in the sixth
and went on to stun the George Fox University Bruins 8-6 in the
final game of a three-game Northwest Conference baseball series
Sunday afternoon here at the West Linn High School Field.
By taking two out of three in the set, the Pirates dealt the
Bruins a damaging blow to their hopes of contending for the NWC
title. George Fox is now 17-8 overall and 9-6 in the NWC,
tied for third with Pacific University and three games back in the
loss column to Linfield College (12-3) and the University of Puget
Sound (9-3). Whitworth improved to 12-15 overall and evened
its conference slate at 6-6.
George Fox took a 1-0 lead in the first against C.J. Perry as
Dan Winterstein singled and came around on a wild
pitch, a sacrifice, and a balk. The Bruins added two more in
the third when Winterstein doubled, was sacrificed to third, and
scored on Sam Stahl's sacrifice fly to right, then Eric
Gantenbein drilled his second home run of the season to
left-center. In the fourth, Nate Hickok walked, went to third
on Winterstein's single to right, and scored on a balk by
reliever Ben George.
Bruin right-hander Joey Clancy made that lead stand up through
five innings, allowing only three hits and a walk until then.
In the sixth, he began to tire in his longest start of the season,
walking Landon Scott and Kevin Valerio with two out. Ashley
then lined his first home run of the season over the left-field
fence to get the Pirates back in the game, down only 4-3.
The Bruins made it 5-3 in the home half as John Mountz singled,
went to third on a bunt single to third by Hickok and a throwing
error on the same play, and scored as Winterstein grounded into a
4-6-3 double play, but the Pirates were on a roll.
Andrew Snyder (2-2), the conference's No. 2 pitcher in
earned run average entering the game at 1.19, replaced Clancy to
start the top of the seventh and gave a quick run on a double by
Nathan Johnson and an RBI single by Gerhard Muelheims. After
a sacrifice, Muelheims went to third on Scott's single and
scored on a J.R. Jarrell sacrifice fly to center to tie the game
5-5.
Kramer Kembel (2-0) set the Bruins down in order in the seventh,
and Kyle Krustangel started the Pirates' winning rally
against Snyder with a one-out double. Michael Takemura walked
and Johnson singled to the hole at short to load the bases.
Jacob Brown came in for Snyder and got Muelheims to
bounce to Mountz at first, who threw home for a forceout, but then
he walked Tyler Pfeffer to force in Takemura with the go-ahead
run. Scott then singled through the left side to drive in
Johnson and Muelheims.
The Bruins got one run back off Kembel in the eighth.
Mountz was hit by a pitch to lead off, and Johnson came to the
mound from short after a fly out and surrendered a single to
Winterstein and a walk to Taylor Hunter. Stahl got Mountz
home with a ground out to second, Muelheims making a fine diving
stop and throw to prevent another run from scoring, and Gantenbein
flied out to the warning track in center to end the threat. A
1-2-3 ninth earned Johnson his first save of the season.
Scott was 4-4 at the plate to lead the Pirates, who had 11 hits
in all, and Ashley, Krustangel, and Johnson had two hits
apiece. Bruin hurlers also walked seven Pirates and did not
strike out anyone. George Fox had 10 hits, with Winterstein
going 4-5 and Derek Blankenship getting two hits.
NEXT: George Fox goes to Puget Sound next
weekend for a series that will be critical for both teams'
chances of remaining in the conference race. The Bruins and
Loggers will play a doubleheader Saturday and a single game Sunday,
starting at 12:00 noon both days ... Whitworth returns home to host
Pacific Lutheran University for two Saturday and one Sunday, also
at noon each day.
