NEWBERG, Ore. – Josh Rapacz and Danny Clifford combined to go 13-for-17 at the plate and drive in 18 runs, leading the George Fox University Bruins to a 21-3, 12-3 doubleheader sweep of the Lewis & Clark College Pioneers that opened the Northwest Conference baseball schedule for both teams Saturday afternoon here at Morse Field.

Game 1 - George Fox 21, Lewis & Clark 3

The Bruins pounded out 17 hits, including three home runs, and took advantage of six Lewis & Clark errors to back the complete-game hurling of right-hander Clay Gartner (2-0) in cruising to the first-game win.

Clifford, an All-West Region performer last year who had missed the last five games due to a sore arm, made a triumphant return to the lineup by slugging his first home run of the season in the first inning, a three-run shot to left-center off Pioneer right-hander Mike Hathaway (0-3).  Derek Dixon singled and came around to score later in the inning on two L&C throwing errors for a 4-0 lead and the rout was on.

Rapacz doubled to score Matthew Zeller in the second, then the Bruins salted the game away with a nine-run outburst in the third.  Jared Chase drove in the first two runs with a double, Rapacz singled in two, Clifford drilled a bases-clearing double for three runs, and Dixon capped the rally with a two-run homer to left, his first of the year.

The Bruins added five more in the fourth, Zach Miller drawing a bases-loaded walk to force in a run before Rapacz cleared the sacks with his first round-tripper of the season, a grand slam to left.  Nick Benish singled in Miller in the sixth and Kyle Kirwan singled home Demitri Cranshaw in the eighth to close out the George Fox scoring.

Rapacz finished 3-for-4 with a double, grand slam, three runs scored and seven RBIs, while Clifford was 3-for-4 with a double, home run, three runs and six RBIs.  Dixon added a 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs.  Zeller scored four runs and Chase had two runs scored and two RBIs.

Gartner scattered eight hits in his route-going job, allowing only one earned run while striking out five and walking one.  He gave up two unearned runs in the second on a two-run single by Liam Healey and another in the sixth as Corey Davis singled in Matthew Cathcart, who was the only Pio with two hits.

Hathaway was roughed up for 11 hits in 2.2 innings, surrendering 14 runs, nine earned. Reliever Stein Retzlaff went 4.2 innings, allowing five hits and seven runs, two earned, with three strikeouts and a walk.

Game 2 - George Fox 12, Lewis & Clark 3

In the second game, Rapacz led a 16-hit attack by going 4-for-5 with two doubles, three runs scored and two RBIs, while Clifford chipped in with a 3-for-4 game that included a Bruin record-tying three doubles and three RBIs.  Not to be outdone, Miller was 3-for-5 with a double and four runs scored, Dixon was 2-for-3 with a double, two runs and two RBIs, and Zach Hegelmeyer had two hits.

The Bruins got going with four in the first on a Timothy Williams sacrifice fly, RBI doubles by Clifford and Dixon, and a run-scoring single by Hegelmeyer.  They added three more in the second, Clifford doubling in two and Dixon stroking a sacrifice fly to center. 

In the third, Rapacz doubled in an unearned run, and Zac Israel doubled in a run in the fourth, followed by a sacrifice fly by Chase.  The Bruins closed out their scoring in the seventh as Rapacz singled in Miller and Israel hit a sacrifice fly to score Rapacz.

The Pioneers got their runs in the fourth off southpaw Connor Harris (3-0), who allowed six hits in 5.0 innings with two strikeouts and two walks.  Hayden Higger had an RBI single, Eric Hyun scored on an error at short, and Jake Costantino singled in another.  Ian Buckles worked two shutout innings and Sean Eberhardt and Alex Keenan one each to finish up. 

Bradley Lezak and Hyun had two hits apiece out of the Pioneers' total of nine.  Blake Howell (0-1) was the starter and took the loss for the Pios, allowing 13 hits and 10 runs, nine earned, in 4.0 innings, with three strikeouts and two walks.  Severiano Villarruel gave up the final two George Fox runs.

NEXT: George Fox (9-4, NWC 2-0) and Lewis & Clark (0-9, NWC 0-2) conclude their three-game series with a single game Sunday at 12:00 noon.