Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 SPOKANE, Wash. – Danny
Clifford went 6-for-9 on the day with two doubles, a home
run, five runs scored and five runs batted in, leading the
nationally-ranked George Fox University Bruins to a 10-4, 14-2
sweep of the Whitworth University Pirates in a critical Northwest
Conference baseball doubleheader Saturday afternoon here at Merkel
Field.
With the sweep, the Bruins, who are ranked 23rd in the
Collegiate Baseball / ABCA poll, improved to 19-6 overall
and 9-5 in the conference. The Bruins, hoping to stay in
contention for the NWC title, entered the weekend fourth in the
league standings. The Pirates fell to 6-16 overall and 3-8 in
the NWC.
Game 1 - George Fox 10, at Whitworth 4
Led by Clifford's big first game that included the
game-winning hit and a home run, the Bruins hammered out 13 hits
for a come-from-behind win. Derek Blankenship added two hits
and scored three runs, Matthew Zeller had two hits with a run
scored and an RBI, and Derek Dixon drove in three runs with a
single and two ground outs.
Benefitting from the attack was George Fox ace Clay Gartner
(7-1), who went eight innings, striking out five and walking
two. He gave up five hits in the 2nd inning when the Pirates
scored all their runs, the big hit a two-run double by Matthew
Miller, but was virtually untouchable in the other seven innings,
allowing only two more hits. Christian Jarnigan finished up
with a 1-2-3 9th, striking out two.
Down 4-1 after two innings, the Bruins began their comeback with
two runs in the 3rd on an RBI single by Josh Rapacz and a Dixon
fielder's choice. They tied it in the 5th on Clay
Mott's fielder's choice that scored Rapacz, and went
ahead in the 6th when Kadyn Nannini walked, was sacrificed to
second, and scored on Clifford's single to center.
Dixon later singled in Clifford for a 6-4 Bruin lead.
The Bruins added two in the 8th when Clifford powered his fourth
home run of the season to right-center following a walk to
Blankenship, and two more in the 9th on RBI singles by Zeller and
Clifford.
The loss went to Carson Blumenthal (0-4), who allowed seven hits
and six runs in 5.2 innings with three strikeouts and five
walks. Thomas Wakem was the only Pirate with two hits.
Game 2 - George Fox 14, at Whitworth 2
The Bruin offense backed the combined four-hit pitching of Ian
Buckles (4-0), Taylor Dunn and Nathan Higa with a season-high 20
hits. Buckles went seven innings, allowing three hits and two
runs while striking out six and walking one. Dunn pitched a
perfect 8th before Higa threw a one-hit 9th.
Clifford walked and scored the first run of the game in the 1st
on back-to-back singles by Rapacz and Dixon, then doubled in Zeller
for the first run in a three-run 3rd. Rapacz singled in
Blankenship and Clifford scored on a fielder's choice by Zac
Israel later in the frame. Clifford doubled in a six-run 4th
that effectively sealed the win, Rapacz adding a two-run double and
Israel a two-run triple to key the outburst.
Whitworth got its runs on a two-run triple by Gerhard Muelheims
in the 5th, but the Bruins added two runs in both the 6th and 9th
innings to remove any hope of a Pirates' comeback.
Zeller singled in both runs in the 6th, and Taylor Johnson singled
in a run in the 9th before the last run scored on a throwing
error.
Cory Mack (2-3) took the loss for the Pirates, surrendering 10
hits and eight runs. Four relievers followed him, all of them
allowing at least one hit. Rapacz went 3-5 and Zeller 3-3,
with Blankenship, Clifford, Israel and Gabe Louthan all collecting
two hits. Rapacz and Israel each drove in three runs.
The Bruins and Pirates will complete their three-game series
Sunday with a single game at 12:00 noon.