Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 FOREST GROVE, Ore. –
Reliever Alex Keenan struck out the side in the 9th inning to
preserve a 6-5 second-game win for the George Fox University
Bruins, who earned a split of their Northwest Conference baseball
doubleheader after the Boxers had taken the opener 7-1 behind ace
right-hander Rob Dittrick Saturday afternoon here at Bond
Field.
The twinbill was played at Pacific with George Fox as the home
team due to unplayable outfield conditions at the Bruins'
Morse Field in Newberg.
Game 1 – Pacific 7, George Fox 1
Dittrick (3-1), the 2011 NWC Pitcher of the Year, did not have a
particularly easy time against the Bruins as he surrendered seven
hits, walked two, hit six batters, and never had a 1-2-3
inning. However, he got the big outs when he needed them as
he stranded 12 Bruin base runners and struck out seven in a
route-going performance. The only run he allowed came in the
3rd on consecutive two-out singles by Taylor Hunter, David
Greenstein, and Josh Rapacz.
The Boxers took a 3-0 lead in the 2nd against George Fox ace
Brian Ranta (1-1). Jared Van Hoon doubled inside the
third-base line and scored on Logan Moen's single off the
glove of Ranta that deflected into right field. After a bunt
single by Nate Rasmussen and a walk to Jordan Siu, Michael
Arakaki's force out at second scored Moen, and Rasmussen
scored on a balk.
In the Pacific 3rd, Chad Fahey and Van Hoon singled, with Fahey
scoring on a wild throw to third from right field, and Van Hoon
scored on a Moen double. The Boxers added a run in the 7th
against reliever Bobby Orozco when Nick Tasaka was hit by a pitch
and scored on a double to right-center by Greg Tellez, and another
in the 8th when Rasmussen doubled and came around on a wild pitch
and a balk by reliever Carl Mason.
Rapacz was the only Bruin with two hits. Pacific had 11
safeties off three Bruin hurlers, with Van Hoon and Rasmussen
collecting three apiece and Fahey and Moen with two each.
Game 2 – George Fox 6, Pacific 5
George Fox jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 1st against southpaw
Jason Sawyer (0-2) as Todd Nagamine drew a lead-off walk, was
sacrificed to second, and scored on Rapacz's two-out single
to left. Rapacz advanced to second on the throw home and
scored on a single to right by Timothy Williams.
The Bruins added another run in the 3rd as Danny Clifford
singled, was sacrificed to second, went to third on Derek
Blankenship's single to left, and scored on a suicide squeeze
by Nagamine. In the 3rd, Nick Benish hit a two-out double and
scored on a single by Clifford.
Pacific rallied in the 5th on singles by Allan Cushing and
Donnie Bradley and a three-run shot to right by Nick Tasaka, his
second home run of the season. The Bruins got two of them
back in the home half, starting with a lead-off single by
Rapacz. Williams sacrificed and was safe when reliever Tyler
Kotchik's throw hit him, allowing Rapacz to go to
third. Benish doubled in Rapacz with Williams going to third,
and Clifford's sacrifice fly to right plated
Williams.
Those runs proved crucial when Pacific scored twice in the 7th
off reliever Clay Gartner. Fahey walked and went all the way
to third when a grounder to third by Van Hoon was thrown wildly to
second on a force attempt. Fahey scored on a 4-3 ground
double play before Rasmussen lined his first home run of the
season, a solo shot high off the left-field foul pole.
Keenan came on in the 8th and walked Allan Cushing to start the
inning, but out of it with a sacrifice, a strike out, and a fly to
left. He then fanned three in the 9th while allowing a
one-out single to Van Hoon, his first save of the season.
Bruin starter Taylor Dunn (2-1) was the beneficiary of the save
after allowing seven hits and three runs in five-plus innings,
striking out three and walking one.
Rapacz banged out three of the Bruins' 10 hits, with
Benish, Clifford and Blankenship getting two apiece. Van Hoon
had three hits and Rasmussen two to account for half of the
Boxers' 10 hits.
NEXT: George Fox (7-10, NWC 3-2) and Pacific
(6-9, NWC 3-2) will conclude their three-game conference series
Sunday with a single game at 12:00 noon at Bond Field, weather
permitting.