NEWBERG, Ore. -- 24 different players saw the field on Tuesday, as the George Fox baseball team played tough against D-II opponent Western Oregon, dropping the midweek game, 4-5.

How It Happened
Bruin coach Kevin Kopple, celebrating his birthday on Tuesday, sent out several new faces, using the nonconference game to get players valuable playing time. Of those 24 players, eight were pitchers — only starter Aidan Rady pitched more than one inning, throwing two.

The two innings Rady threw saw no scores from either team before Western Oregon broke open the third. A strong wind blew two balls past the fence for home runs, giving the Wolves a 3-0 lead after three. Western Oregon extended their lead to 4-0 in the next inning with an RBI single from John Oleseon.

Though Fox failed to record a hit through the first five innings, the Bruins still found themselves in scoring position in the fourth after two hit-by-pitches and a walk. With the bases loaded, Wolves pitcher Kadyn Shelton balked twice in one at-bat, scoring Carson Coulter and Tyler Durant and bringing the Bruins within two, 2-4.

Jonathan Stone broke up the Wolves' combined no-hitter in the fifth with a single down the left-field line as Fox continued to gain momentum. After a Western Oregon run, the Bruins reached within one run, 4-5, after a Dylan Mehl RBI single in the sixth and a Coulter RBI double in the seventh.

Though the Bruin bullpen of Caleb Debban and Alex Abbott pitched five strikeouts in six at-bats, Fox couldn't get closer than the 4-5 score. Spencer Roos was the lone baserunner in the final two innings for either team, but was left on first as the game came to a close.

Top Performances
Carson Coulter reached base on all three of his at-bats in the afternoon — two walks and an RBI double. As a team, the Bruins drew six walks and were hit by pitch four times, finding other ways to get on base. Caleb Debban pitched a perfect 1-2-3 inning in his one-inning pitched, striking out all three batters.

What It Means
Fox falls to 8-14 (2-8 NWC), while Western Oregon improves to 11-7 (5-3 GNAC).

What Comes Next
Fox returns to NWC play with a three-game series against Puget Sound at Morse. First pitch for the Saturday doubleheader is scheduled for noon.