NEWBERG, Ore. --  The George Fox baseball team played the Willamette Bearcats in an impromptu single-game Saturday — the first of a three-game series — losing the first game, 7-6, despite out-hitting the Bearcats 13-5 in the game.

How It Happened
Willamette struck first with a first-inning home run to center field before Fox responded with a run of their own off a fielder's choice in the bottom half of the inning. 

GFU got three hits in the second inning, but could only manage to score one run, as they were not able to keep the inning going with two outs. The Bruins had runners on first and second when a ground ball to the Willamette third baseman led to a tag out at third, ending the inning and stranding two. 

Fox added another run in the third, scoring Spencer Roos on a Tyler Durant RBI single. The run put the Bruns up 3-1.

The Bruins and Bearcats traded runs in the fourth, and the Bearcats scored two in the fifth to tie the game. Willamette would strike again in the sixth off a two-run double that gave them the lead 6-4. The Bearcats needed only four hits to give them six runs compared to Fox's 10 hits.

Jared Miller doubled in the bottom half of the sixth inning to bring the Bruins a run closer, down 6-5 before a Bearcats sacrifice fly in the seventh would put the Bruins back in a two-run hole heading into the bottom half of the seventh inning. Bleu Ellis countered with a sacrifice fly of his own, lowering the Bearcats' lead to just one run; however, Fox left the tying run on third, making the final inning more challenging for the home squad.

In the last inning, Mason Eastman was able to get a single, but nothing else was working for Fox in their final at-bats, and they left another on base, making it six potential runs stranded during the game in the 6-7 loss..

Top Performances
Jared Miller went 3-4 with two RBIs and a double. Tyler Durant had an RBI and a double as well, while Mason Eastman went 3-5 hitting in the lead-off spot. 

Coach's Thoughts
"We did a lot of things well," Bruin head coach Kevin Kopple said, "But in the end, we didn't make enough plays when we needed to, and too many free bases will cost you in close games."

What It Means
GFU falls two games below .500, sitting at 5-7 (1-3 NWC). Willamette improves to 7-3 (3-1 NWC) on the year.

What Comes Next
George Fox still has a chance to win the series on Sunday, with a doubleheader starting at 11 am tomorrow. The doubleheader, originally scheduled for Saturday, switched spots on the calendar with the usual Sunday single game due to weather,