Box Score McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Danny
Clifford slugged two run-producing doubles to key a
nine-run first inning and the 24th-ranked George Fox University
Bruins went on to bludgeon Linfield College 10-2, their second win
over the No. 1-ranked Wildcats this year, in the regular-season
finale for both teams Sunday afternoon here at Roy Helser
Field.
The game had been originally scheduled for the Bruins'
Morse Field in Newberg, but with rain showers expected on and off
again all afternoon, both George Fox coach Marty Hunter and
Linfield coach Scott Brosius felt that the Wildcats'
artificial-turf infield offered a better chance to complete the
game. The Bruins played as the home team.
After George Fox right-hander Tom Zarosinksi (7-3) struck out
three batters around a walk in the 1st, the Bruins went to work in
the bottom of the inning to pin the first loss of the season on
Linfield righty Zach Brandon (7-1). Derek Blankenship reached
on a lead-off error at short and Clifford doubled down the right
field line to score the first run of the game. A throwing
error on a sacrifice bunt by Josh Rapacz to third allowed Clifford
to score. Derek Dixon and Zach Rapacz were both hit by
pitches to load the bases, and two runs scored on another error at
third on Zac Israel's grounder. After a wild pitch,
Clay Mott singled in two. Kadyn Nannini fanned, but that was
the only out Brandon got as he then hit Matthew Zeller and was
relieved by Garrett Speyer.
The inning continued as Blankenship reached on an error at
second with Mott scoring, and Clifford scorched a drive to the
center field wall to plate Zeller and Blankenship, capping the
nine-run outburst. All the runs were unearned as the Wildcats
committed five errors in the frame, totally uncharacteristic of a
team that entered the game with the nation's best fielding
percentage of .979 and was threatening to break the NCAA Division
III fielding record - which happens to be a .979 average in 2005 by
George Fox.
Three more Linfield relievers managed to keep the Bruins in
check the rest of the way, though they did collect one more
unearned run in the fifth off of Zach Manley. Blankenship
drew a two-out walk, advanced to second when Clifford reached on a
fielding error at short, and scored on a single up the middle by
Josh Rapacz.
Zarosinski kept the Wildcats off the board through five innings,
helped out in the 4th by Nannini in left, who threw out Eric Lawson
at home trying to score from second on a single by Scott Hilpert to
end the inning. He finally surrendered two runs in the 6th on
an RBI single by Jo Carroll that scored Clayton Truex and a single
by Lawson that drove in Kramer Lindell.
Zarosinski was done after six, having allowed seven hits and two
runs with six strikeouts and two walks. Ian Buckles went the
last three innings to earn his first save of the season,
surrendering only one hit and no runs with two strikeouts and a
walk.
Clifford, Josh Rapacz, and Mott had two hits each out of the
Bruins' total of seven. Lawson and Hilpert had two
safeties each for the 'Cats, half of their team total.
George Fox is now 28-12 while Linfield is 33-7. The
Wildcats are already in the playoffs as Northwest Conference
champions and will host the West Regional May 14-18. The
Bruins must wait until May 12 to find out if they are one of 14
'Pool C' at-large bids, relying upon a 23-11 record
against D-III competition, a good strength-of-schedule rating, and
a 2-3 record against the top team in the nation to make their
case.