By Seth Preuss

MCMINNVILLE --- The George Fox baseball team traveled to face Linfield College on Wednesday, April 3, in a season-series finale. The Bruins pulled out a come-from-behind win to sweep the series with a 5-3 victory at the Wildcats' home park.

Recap

Nate Leid got the start on a staff day and pitched an inning before ceding the hill to Corey Caldwell. Caldwell worked two scoreless innings to pick up the win, and he was followed by single innings from JC Gross, Lane Kimbro, and Connor Carter. Bradley Emmens worked a pair of scoreless innings before giving way to a shutdown inning from Matt Voelzke for Voelzke's seventh save of the year.

The Wildcats plated the first run of the game in the bottom of the first and kept their lead until the top of the fourth inning. A fast-moving scoreless duo of innings in the second and third frames broke open for the Bruins with three turns in the top of the fourth inning.

Jerred Seamons drew a walk and CJ Ibara followed that with a single before Marc Audet lifted a two-RBI triple to score both runners. A wild pitch allowed Audet to score moments later for a 3-0 lead after three and a half innings of action.

The Wildcats plated a run in answer in the bottom of the fourth, but the Bruins never surrendered their lead. Scoreless fifth and sixth frames again gave way to another tally for the Bruins in the seventh, after Jayce Lein got aboard with an error and scored on an RBI double from Kyler Brudwick. Lein's run in the top half of the seventh would prove to be the game-winner for George Fox.

The Wildcats got that run back in the bottom half of the inning to make it 4-3, but another single run from the Bruins kept the rally at bay. Ibara got on base with a leadoff bunt single in the eighth and took second on a wild pitch before scoring on an RBI single through the right side by Sam Swenson. The Bruins shut down the Wildcats in the eighth and ninth frames to hold on for a 5-3 win on the road.

Top Performers

The Bruin offense got its life from Audet, who scored a run and drove in two more with his triple in the fourth inning. Caldwell, Kimbro, Emmens, and Voelzke each tallied at least one scoreless inning on the mound for George Fox.

What It Means

The Bruins complete a season sweep of the Wildcats and improve to 18-10 overall after the non-NWC matchup.

What Happens Next

George Fox will stay on the road this weekend with a series at Pacific (Ore.) on April 6-7.