Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 By: Seth Preuss
NEWBERG --- The George Fox baseball team hosted its first Northwest Conference opponent on Saturday, March 2, with a doubleheader against the University of Puget Sound. The Bruins took game one by a final score of 4-0 and grabbed a 2-1 win in game two to take the day.
Recap
Game One
Chris Stone took the mound to start the day and lasted seven innings to earn his third win of the season before being relieved by Isaac Olson for the eighth inning. Matt Voelzke closed the door in the ninth with a shutdown inning for the 4-0 win.
The Bruins got an early jump with a run in the bottom of the first frame. Derek Johnson made his way on with a single and stole his way to second before scoring on an RBI double to left from Kyler Brudwick.
The Bruins added another run in the second after linking a Chase Fetzer double with a single from Jason Garcia. Voelzke also doubled in the inning but was left stranded to end the inning with a 2-0 lead.
Matt Ramirez scored the Bruins' third run of the day after singling aboard in the third. A throwing error allowed Ramirez to reach third before a wild pitch gave him a chance to run in for the score.
The game picked up speed after that as both teams got outs to move the game along, but the Bruins tacked on an insurance run to close the game out in the seventh. After a pair of singles from Garcia and Voelzke put two runners on for George Fox, Johnson put a ball in play on a sacrifice bunt attempt and a throwing error allowed Garcia to score from second for the 4-0 final in game one.
Game Two
The second game of the doubleheader was a fast-paced pitchers' duel between the Loggers' starter and Landon Schirer. Schirer went seven and a third for the Bruins to earn his second win of the season. Olson worked a third of an inning in the eighth, and Voelzke got the last four outs to earn his second save of the year.
The game flew through the first six innings as the teams traded three-up, three-down frames until the Bruins opened the scoring in the bottom of the seventh. Johnson doubled to right to lead off the frame and Brudwick chased him home with a single to left center. Jerred Seamons followed that with a double to left field to plate Brudwick for the 2-0 lead.
The Loggers answered back with a run in the top half of the eighth inning, but the Bruins were able to limit the damage and got out of the frame with the lead. Voelzke only needed 16 pitches to close the game for the 2-1 win.
Top Performers
Game One
Voelzke made his presence felt at the plate with a double, in the field at short stop, and from the mound by closing the game with a shutdown inning. Brudwick and Fetzer also doubled in the 4-0 win, and Stone struck out six.
Game Two
Seamons' RBI double drove in the winning run in the seventh, while Johnson and Fetzer also produced extra-base hits for the Bruins. Three of Voelzke's four outs came via strikeout in his save.
What It Means
The Bruins are back to .500 as they improve to 6-6 overall and are now 3-2 against NWC teams this season.
What Comes Next
The Bruins finish off their series against Puget Sound at 12:00 pm at Morse Athletic Field.
