Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 FOREST GROVE, Ore. –
Clay Gartner of George Fox University out-dueled
Pacific University ace Rob Dittrick in the first game and the
visiting Bruins used 15 hits and several costly errors to score big
in the second game, sweeping the Boxers 2-0 and 14-4 in a Northwest
Conference baseball doubleheader Saturday afternoon here at Chuck
Bafaro Stadium.
The twin wins enabled George Fox (12-4, NWC 5-0) to keep pace
with Linfield College, which won twice at Willamette University,
atop the conference standings. Pacific, a defending NWC
co-champion along with Whitworth University, remained winless this
season at 0-11 overall and 0-5 in the league.
Game 1 - George Fox 2, Pacific 0
Gartner (3-0) twirled a dandy in the opener, and needed to do so
to get the better of Dittrick, a two-time All-Conference performer
who was the NWC Pitcher of the Year in 2011. The
Bruins' right-hander surrendered two-out singles in the 1st
to Walker Olis and Logan Moen, but fanned Donnie Bradley to end the
Boxers' only real scoring threat. He did not allow
another hit the rest of the way in hurling his second straight
complete game, striking out 11 and walking two. Pacific
advanced just two runners past first base.
The Bruins scored their first run in the 3rd as Zach Hegelmeyer
and Emmett Ackerlund both laid down bunts to open the inning and
reached safely on Boxers' miscues. Matthew Zeller loaded the
bases with a third bunt that rolled fair down the third base line
for a hit, and Zach Miller followed with a fielder's choice that
scored Hegelmeyer.
George Fox had runners on first and second with none out in both
the 4th and 6th innings, but in both instances Dittrick pounced on
Bruin sacrifice bunt attempts in time to get the runners at third
to thwart the rallies. The visitors were finally able to
punch another run across in the 7th, however, when Hegelmeyer was
hit by a pitch and scored two batters later on a Zeller single
through the left side.
Dittrick (0-2) threw his first complete game of the year, allowing
two runs, one earned, on nine hits with one walk and four
strikeouts. Josh Rapacz went 3-4 with a double for the
Bruins, while Zeller had two hits and Hegelmeyer scored both
runs.
Game 2 - George Fox 14, Pacific 4
Pacific made five errors that contributed to seven unearned runs
for George Fox in the nightcap and the Bruins used them to turn out
a four-run 4th inning and a five-run 8th, backing southpaw Connor
Harris (4-0), who turned in seven solid innings, and Spencer Eager,
who pitched two perfect relief innings.
Each team benefitted from errors to score single runs in the
2nd. In the top of the frame, Derek Dixon reached with one
out on an error and scored on Timothy Williams' triple to the wall
in left-center. In the home half, Austin Gallagher doubled
with one out and scored when Nick Tasaka reached on an error.
The Bruins took the lead for good in the 3rd when Miller reached on
a force out, advanced to second on a ground out, and scored on
Danny Clifford's single. They then broke the game open
in a four-run 4th that saw the Boxers commit three errors.
Zac Israel scored the first run when Zeller lined out to
short with the bases loaded but a throw to try and double up
Ackerlund at second went wide of the bag. Miller, Rapacz, and
Clifford followed with RBI singles to hang four unearned runs on
the board.
The Bruins added one in the 7th when Clifford walked, Dixon was hit
by a pitch, and after a force out, Hegelmeyer singled in Clifford
before the Boxers' bats came alive in the home half. Nick
Garrett singled with one out and was advanced to second on a
sacrifice bunt. Charlie Gaff singled in Garrett, and Trux
French roped a single through the left side to score Gaff and
Michael Arakaki.
Leading only 7-4, George Fox put the game away with an explosive
five-run 8th. Zeller walked to open the frame, and Miller
reached on an error before Rapacz followed with a single to right
that scored Zeller. Clifford singled to plate Miller, Dixon
singled to load the bases, and Williams rolled a two-run single
through the left side. Hegelmeyer brought home the fifth run
on a fielder's choice. The Bruins plated two more in the 9th
on a two-run single by Dixon.
Harris allowed four runs, three earned, on nine hits with two walks
and three strikeouts in his seven innings. Kyle Treadway
(0-4) took the loss for the Boxers, allowing six runs, only one of
which was earned, on eight hits with a walk and four strikeouts in
six innings.
Clifford led the Bruins' attack with a 3-4 game, scoring
twice and driving in three. Zeller, Miller, Rapacz, Dixon and
Williams all had two hits, Zeller scoring four times and Williams
knocking in three. Gaff had two hits for Pacific.
NEXT: George Fox and Pacific conclude their
three-game series Sunday with a single at 12:00 noon. Pacific
will provide live stats and live video on its website, while George
Fox will have live audio streaming by campus station KFOX
radio.