By Seth Preuss

NEWBERG --- The George Fox baseball team bounced back from a pair of NWC losses on Wednesday, March 27, with a non-NWC win against Lewis & Clark at home in an 8-6 contest.

Recap

Bradley Emmens got the start in a staff game for the Bruins' pitching staff and worked two innings before giving way to Liam Kent. Kent worked a single inning and was followed by single innings from Cameron Jack, Connor Carter, Corey Caldwell, Issac Olson, and Lane Kimbro to get through the first eight innings. Matt Voelzke pitched a shutout ninth frame to earn his sixth save of the year and close the game against the Pioneers.

The Pioneers got on the board first after a scoreless opening frame by plating a pair of runs in the top of the second. The Bruins answered with a run in the bottom of the inning after pairing back to back singles from Jantzen Tamanaha and Sam Swenson with an RBI groundout by Cutter Kitson.

Voelzke tied the game for the Bruins after drawing a walk in the third, moving on a wild pitch, and scoring on an RBI single to left center by Kyler Brudwick. Two more runs in the fourth gave the Bruins a 4-2 lead after several extra-base hits in the frame. Swenson launched a solo shot, Jason Garcia laced a triple into right center, and Matt Ramirez doubled Garcia home for the 4-2 lead.

After the Pioneers tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the fifth, the Bruins pulled back in front with a Tamanaha double and a sacrifice fly from Austin Shadbolt. The Pioneers took a lead with two runs in the top of the sixth for a brief 6-5 lead, but the Bruins took the lead back for good with two runs in the bottom half of the sixth.

A walk drawn by Ramirez was cashed in to tie the game at 6-6 after a double to left by Jerred Seamons, and Seamons scored on a wild pitch later in the inning for the winning run and a 7-6 lead. The Bruins tacked on an insurance run in the eighth after a scoreless seventh frame for the 8-6 final score. A triple from CJ Ibara quickly turned into the eighth Bruin run after a sacrifice fly from Derek Johnson.

Top Performers

Voelzke did a bit of everything for the Bruins, turning two double plays and scoring a run in addition to earning a save on the mound. Ibara and Garcia tripled and Swenson homered in the win.

What It Means

The Bruins move to 16-8 overall after the bounce-back win over the Pios to complete a four-game season series sweep.

What Happens Next

George Fox hosts their next NWC series action with a three-game series against Whitman in Newberg on Saturday and Sunday, March 30 & 31.