By Seth Preuss

PORTLAND --- The George Fox baseball team opened its Northwest Conference season series against Lewis & Clark on Saturday, March 9, with a single game at the Pioneers' home field. The Bruins' hitters provided more than enough run support for their starter against the Pios in a 15-4 win.

Recap

Christopher Stone got the start for the Bruins and worked five innings in his fourth win of 2019, allowing three runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out a pair of Pioneers. Isaac Olson pitched two innings in relief and Corey Caldwell got an inning as the setup man before Bradley Emmens closed the game with an inning of work in the ninth.

The Pioneers struck first with a run in the bottom of the first for an early 1-0 lead, but the Bruins answered back with three runs in the top of the second. Matt Ramirez led off the inning with a double, advanced on a ground out, and scored on a ball put in play by Chase Fetzer to tie it up at 1-1. Three consecutive singles from Cody Watilo, Jason Garcia, and Matt Voelzke plated another run, and the Bruins used a double steal to plate Garcia for a 3-1 lead.

The Pios got two runs back in the bottom of the frame, but a single tally in the top of the fourth by the Bruins broke a 3-3 tie. Fetzer led off the inning with a double and scored after a Garcia single up the middle. A Pios error and singles from Watilo and Garcia in the fifth frame gave the Bruins a 6-3 lead and they never let up after that.

The Bruins' bats continued to be white-hot in the late innings, as they tacked on three in the seventh frame and six more in the eighth inning for a 15-4 lead. Fetzer, Voelzke, and Derek Johnson doubled as part of the hit parade, and Johnson also launched three-run shot out of the park in left field during the nine-run outburst in the late innings of the game.

Top Performers

Garcia went four for five at the dish with two runs scored and four RBI, while Johnson doubled and homered while driving in four for the Bruins.  

What It Means

The Bruins improve to 8-6 overall and are now 5-2 against NWC competition in 2019.

What Happens Next

The Bruins return to Huston Sports Complex to finish the series against the Pios with a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 pm on Sunday, March 10.