SALEM, Ore. --- George Fox notched its first Northwest Conference win on Sunday with an 11- win over Willamette to avoid being swept in the season series.
How It Happened
Ben Wills got the start and lasted four innings, scattering five runs and six hits through his appearance.
Aided by three Bearcat errors, the Bruins built an early 7-0 lead after three and a half innings.Â
Fox kicked things off with a pair of RBI doubles from Jayce Lien and Mason Eastman in the second, and Jared Gee purposely got caught in a rundown to give Eastman time to score from third.
The Bruins added four runs in the fourth to stretch the lead. Tyler Durant singled and three straight Bearcat errors loaded the bases before Travis Miller drove in two with a single to left field. An RBI walk from Jared Miller drove in another run, and Brandon King plated another with an RBI groundout for the 7-0 advantage.
The Bearcats were able to plate five in answer in the bottom of the fourth frame, but Fox was able to stem the tide after that. Andrew Sutherland came on in relief and pitched three scoreless innings to earn his second win of the 2022 season.
J. Miller led off the seventh with a double, King and Jeremy Sangalang walked, and all three would score on a wild pitch, passed ball, and an RBI sacrifice fly from Spencer Roos.
The Bruins added another single run in the eighth after Eastman drew a walk and paired that with a single from Gee and an RBI fielder's choice by Miller.
Alex Abbott retired the side in order to close the game and solidify the win, 11-5.
Top Performances
Sutherland and Abbott kept the Bearcat bats silent over the final five innings. Roos and Lien scored two runs each, and Lien, Eastman, and J. Miller all doubled in the win.
Coach's Thoughts
"I'm really proud of our guys'Â response to a tough day yesterday," coach Kevin Kopple said. "We got some timely hitting and great bullpen performances."
What It Means
The Bruins level off at 5-5 overall and are now 1-2 against NWC schools in the young season.
Up Next
Fox will make use of its bye week to face NCAA DIII power program Chapman in Orange next weekend.
