NEWBERG, Ore. --- The George Fox baseball team played host and visitor Sunday afternoon, as the Bruins allowed the Pioneers of Lewis & Clark to enjoy the new turf field at Morse Athletic Complex in a Northwest Conference doubleheader. The Bruins were the away team despite being at home since Lewis & Clark's field was rained out Saturday.
Recap:
Game 1
The Bruins struck early as Andrew Reichenbach scored after an error got him to third and a hit from Sam Swenson sent him home. Kyle Esquerra, sitting at third, was sent home just after as Connor Newell hit a single to right field.
George Fox held an early 2-0 lead at the end of the first, holding the Pioneers scoreless.
With one out at the top of the third, Bryan Branstatter sent Andrew Reichenbach home for his second run of the night. Matt Voelzke grounded out on the next hit but still managed to bring Kyle Esquerra in for his second run.
To cap off a monster third inning, Zachery Muenster singled up the middle to bring home Bryan Branstatter and Sam Swenson for two RBI's, giving the Bruins a 6-0 lead.
The Pioneers struck back at the bottom of the third by earning two runs.
George Fox kept it rolling in the fourth as Sam Swenson doubled to bring in Kyle Esquerra and AJ Valencia for two RBI's.
The home team gained the advantage at the bottom of the fourth, 9-8, and furthered their lead in the sixth.
The Bruins attempted a comeback in the top of the seventh with a four-run inning, but still fell, 15-12.
Game 2:
The second game continued the strong effort at the plate, but was very contested as it wasn't it came down to the wire.
Both teams came out swinging in the second inning, as each came away with three runs. With the score tied up at 3-3, the Bruins broke the tie with a single run in the fourth. Both teams matched each other in the sixth and the seventh inning, and with the Bruins up 7-6 only two innings remained.
With two outs on the board, the Pios had the go-ahead run at the plate. Akari Abderrahman sailed a ball over the right field fence to give the Pioneers an 8-7 advantage.
The Bruins did their best to rally back, but fell short in an 8-7 loss.
Top Performers:
Game 1
Sam Swenson continued his stellar play, going 3-5 at the plate and sending in three. Zachery Muenster went 2-4 at the plate and had three RBI's as well.
Game 2
Brandon Wileman went 3-3 at the plate with one RBI, while 2-5 with two RBIs. The Bruins recorded 13 hits in the game while the Pios tallied 10.
What It Means:
The Bruins move to 1-2 in the Northwest Conference and 2-6 overall.
What Comes Next:
The Bruins host Linfield Feb. 25-26 in a three game series where the Bruins hope to bounce back.
