Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 NEWBERG, Ore. – Kadyn
Nannini drove in the winning run in both games and the
George Fox University pitching staff stretched its string of
consecutive scoreless innings to 40 with a doubleheader sweep of
the University of Puget Sound Loggers, 9-0 and 8-0, in Northwest
Conference baseball action Sunday afternoon here at Morse
Field.
Bruin pitchers have not allowed a run since Whitworth University
scored twice in the 5th inning of the second game of their series
in Spokane, Wash., on Mar. 29. After four scoreless innings
to close out that game, the Bruins won the third game 5-0, then
took the first game of the Puget Sound series Saturday by a 9-0
score before adding Sunday's twin shutouts. No George
Fox team had ever thrown more than two consecutive shutouts.
George Fox, ranked 19th in the latest Collegiate
Baseball / ABCA poll and 23rd in the D3baseball.com poll,
improved to 23-6 overall as its winning streak reached six.
The Bruins are now 13-5 and in second place in the conference, four
full games behind defending NWC and national champion Linfield
College. Puget Sound fell to 7-16 overall and 5-10 in the
league with its seventh straight setback.
Game 1 - at George Fox 9, Puget Sound 0
Ian Buckles (5-0) went the first seven innings for the Bruins,
spacing eight hits with four strikeouts and one walk. Connor
Harris and Kyle Albertson completed the whitewash with one inning
and one strikeout each.
The Bruins got on the board against Collin Maier (2-3) in the
4th when Nannini drilled his first home run of the season to left
with Zach Rapacz and Clay Mott aboard. His two-run double
capped a six-run 7th inning that clinched the win. Earlier in
the 7th, Danny Clifford singled in a run, Zac Israel drew a
bases-loaded walk, and Mott stroked a two-run single.
The Bruins finished with 11 hits, Josh Rapacz, Mott, Nannini,
and Matthew Zeller collecting two apiece. Nannini had five
RBIs, while Zach Rapacz and Mott each scored twice. Nathan
Backes and Chris Zerio had two hits apiece for the Loggers.
Game 2 - at George Fox 8, Puget Sound 0
Tom Zarosinski (6-2) went eight innings in the nightcap,
allowing six hits and two walks while fanning two. Taylor
Dunn pitched a 1-2-3 9th with one strikeout. The Bruins
out-scored the Loggers 26-0 in the series.
Nannini again gave the Bruins the lead with a sacrifice fly to
left in the 4th that scored Zach Rapacz. In the 5th, Derek
Blankenship and Derek Dixon singled, Dixon stole second, and Zach
Rapacz delivered a two-run single. The Bruins closed out the
scoring with a five-run 7th, Clifford slugging a three-run home
run, his fifth of the season, to right with Zeller and Blankenship
aboard, and Israel singling in Dixon and Gabe Louthan later in the
inning.
Zach Rapacz was 3-for-3 to lead a 13-hit attack by the Bruins,
with Blankenship, Clifford, Josh Rapacz, and Dixon all getting two
hits. Zach Rapacz had two doubles and Clifford added one as
well.
NEXT: George Fox goes to Pacific Lutheran
University for a critical conference series next weekend, with two
on Saturday and a single game Sunday, starting both days at 12:00
noon … Puget Sound plays St. Martin's University
Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. in a non-conference tilt.