SALEM, Ore. --- The George Fox baseball team kicked off its Northwest Conference schedule with a pair of losses at Willamette on Saturday, Feb. 19.
Game One
The Bruins got another quality outing from Sean Wiese in game one, squandering the south pause seven innings of no decision baseball late in the game.
Fox plated in the first run of the ball game in the opening frame. Jeremy Sangalang got on base with a single and stole second, taking third on a throwing error, before Tyler Durant doubled him home for good measure. Willamette got that back and grabbed a lead with a two-run blast pulled down the left field line in the second, and both teams locked in on defense for the next four frames. After chugging through four scoreless innings, Fox plated a run in the seventh to get Wiese off the hook. Jared Miller and Brandon King each singled - King beat a throw on a bunt attempt to get aboard - before Sangalang wore a pitch to load the bases with none out in the inning. Two strikeouts put the Bruins' chances in danger, but a wild pitch allowed Miller to score from third before the Bruins stranded two to close the inning. Willamette got one more across home plate in the eighth and Fox couldn't answer back, giving Willamette a 2-3 win in the opener.
Game Two
Travis Miller took the mound in game two and lasted five innings, striking out four and allowing four runs in his first career loss as a pitcher. Andrew Sutherland worked a scoreless inning of middle relief and Gordon Wend allowed two runs in his two closing innings.
Fox fell behind, 4-0, by the end of the third inning and got on the scoreboard with a run in the fifth to make it 4-1. Jared Gee singled to center and stole second before scoring on an RBI knock from King.
Willamette did the rest of the damage in the later innings with three unanswered tallies to close it out, 7-1, and take the series.
Top Performers
King and Miller went 4-9 in the first game with both of the Bruins' runs while Wiese delivered six scoreless innings in his outing. Sutherland pitched a clean inning of relief in game two and King and Gee produced the Bruins' lone run of the game.
What It Means
The Bruins dip below .500 at 4-5 on the year and are 0-2 to start conference play.
Up Next
Fox will finish its series against the Bearcats with a noon start on Sunday in Salem.
