ANTHEM, Ariz. – Continuing his torrid start to the season, Timothy Williams stroked a two-run double to key a four-run 5th inning that broke a 1-1 tie and sent the George Fox University Bruins to their third consecutive baseball win, a 9-3 victory over the University of La Verne Leopards  in the Arizona Desert Classic Saturday here at Boulder Creek High School.

Williams is batting .714 (10-14) after going 2-for-4 against the Leopards.  His double in the 5th followed an error that allowed Zach Hegelmeyer to reach to start the inning and a double by Josh Rapacz.  After William's hit, Matthew Zeller was hit by a pitch and Danny Clifford walked to load the bases.  Williams scored on an error, and Zac Miller hit an RBI single to score Zeller.

The Leopards cut the lead to 5-3 with a pair of unearned runs in the 6th, but the Bruins answered with three more in the home half. Williams was hit by a pitch, Jared Chase singled, and Zeller singled for a run.  After Clifford walked, Derek Dixon, who had already doubled twice in the game, hit a ball off the wall that resulted in a two-run single when Clifford, holding up to be sure the ball was not caught, could only advance as far as second. 

The Bruins got a final run in the 7th when Hegelmeyer reached on an error, stole second, moved up on walks to Williams and Chase, and scored on a wild pitch on a strikeout. George Fox collected nine hits in all.

Taylor Dunn went the first four innings for the Bruins, allowing three hits and three walks but only one run as he fanned four and worked his way out of a couple of jams.  Michael Hirko and Spencer Eager pitched in the 5th, Eager (1-0) getting the win when the Bruins exploded in the last of the 5th.  Clay Gartner pitched two innings before Sean Eberhart and Alex Keenan each threw a shutout inning to close.

NEXT: George Fox (3-0) finishes its tournament stay against the University of Redlands Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Boulder Creek ... La Verne (2-1) takes on Hardin-Simmons University Sunday at 9:00 a.m., also at Boulder Creek.

-- box score currently unavailable --