By Seth Preuss

NEWBERG --- The George Fox baseball team played host to Willamette University in its final Northwest Conference series of 2019 on Sunday, April 14, with a doubleheader against the Bearcats. The Bruins were swept in their final conference series after falling in both games of the doubleheader. 

Recap

Game One:

The Bruins put Landon Schirer on the mound to start game one of the doubleheader and lasted four and two thirds of an inning, allowing seven runs - only four earned - on eight hits and three walks. Corey Caldwell got the last out of the fifth and worked the final four innings, scattering three runs on seven hits and a walk.

The Bearcats jumped out in front with a pair of runs in the top of the first after a two-run shot pulled out in left field. A leadoff solo shot from Matt Voelzke in the bottom of the frame made it a 2-1 game after the Bruins' shortstop deposited the ball over the wall in left field.

The Bearcats put another run on the board in the second, however, and exploded for another four tallies in the fifth inning to take a 7-1 lead midway through game one. After adding another single run in the top of the sixth, the Bearcats took their largest lead of the game, an 8-1 advantage after five and a half frames.

The Bruins got two runs back in the bottom of the sixth after a Chase Fetzer double, a Bearcat error, and a pair of RBI groundouts to cut the lead down to 8-3. The Bearcats plated two more single runs in the seventh and ninth to stretch their lead out again. A single run in the bottom of the ninth generated by an Emery Miller walk and an RBI single from Matt Ramirez made the score 10-4, which held for the final in game one.

Game Two:

The Bruins gave the ball to Fetzer to start game two, but the tall right-hander only lasted an inning and a third. Liam Kent worked two and two thirds of a frame, Isaac Olson and Bradley Emmens worked two innings apiece, and Connor Carter closed the game with a single inning of work in the ninth.

The Bearcats put up three runs in the first and second innings for an early 6-0 lead. The Bruins were held scoreless until the bottom of the sixth, when Ramirez launched a solo shot out over the wall in left field for a 6-1 deficit.

That was the first and last Bruin run, however, and the Bearcats tacked on three more down the stretch to take a 9-1 win in game two of the doubleheader, thereby completing the sweep of the Bruins in the series.

Top Performers

Game One:

Voelzke's leadoff solo shot in the first inning and doubles from Fetzer and Ramirez were the three bright spots for the Bruins in the first game.

Game Two:

Ramirez' solo shot was the brightest spot in game two for the Bruins.

What It Means

The Bruins drop to 20-14 overall and finish the 2019 NWC season with a 14-10 record. The Bruins will need help from opponents in the coming week to stay in fourth as the final team into the NWC tournament.

What Happens Next

The Bruins will host Chapman University on April 19 & 20 in a non-conference tuneup and await the results of the other NWC series to find out if they qualify for the NWC tournament.