NEWBERG, Ore. --- With their playoff hopes on the line, the George Fox baseball team fought its way to another nail-biting win over Pacific to clinch the series and a potential Northwest Conference tourney berth in the last home game of 2022, sending their seniors out as winners on Apr. 16.
How It Happened
Fox put Ben Wills on to start the game and got five innings from the sophomore in an effective no-decision outing. Andrew Sutherland pitched the last four frames and held the Boxers scoreless to earn the victory.
The Bruins started the scoring with a run in the second inning. Tyler Durant led off the inning with a double, moved up on a Spencer Roos single, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Brandon King. Pacific tied it with a solo shot, but in the fourth inning, Fox plated two more for a 3-1 lead. King doubled in a runner and advanced Roos before a wild pitch plated the Bruins' catcher for the two-run advantage.
The Boxers would not go away quietly and tied it again at three apiece In the fifth inning, and then both teams went silent for three and a half innings. After Sutherland finished his fourth scoreless frame on the hill, the Bruins stitched the winning run together with back-to-back singles from Durant and Roos. Breyndon Nakamura came on to run for Durant, and King put a ball in play to score Nakamura from second. The Boxers tried to turn two from King's slow grounder to third base, but King beat out the throw at first and Nakamura never stopped running to score the winning run and walk off with a win.
Top Performances
The middle of the lineup produced all of the runs for Fox, and the Bruins pitching staff combined to throw seven shutout innings, including the final four. Defensively, all nine players on the diamond for Fox stayed locked in to secure a win with no errors and multiple impressive plays with their gloves.
Coach's Thoughts
"That was an incredibly impressive effort from our guys, they showed a ton of resilience to get that win," said Coach Kevin Kopple. "That was a great win to give us a chance to keep playing, and a great way to finish for our seniors at home."
Milestone Moment
In addition to guaranteeing a playoff spot for Fox with the victory over the Boxers, the Bruins have also helped push coach Kopple to his 50th career win as an NCAA head coach.
What It Means
The Bruins have clinched a spot in the northwest conference tournament, but seating is still to be determined with several NWC matchups unplayed by Lewis & Clark and Puget Sound. The win also forces a split championship for Pacific and Linfield this season, with Pacific hosting the tournament by virtue of their head-to-head tiebreaker over the Wildcats.
Up Next
The seeding is still in question but the Bruins should face Pacific or Linfield, depending on final standings, to start the NWC tournament next weekend.
