NEWBERG, Ore. – The George Fox baseball team picked up their fifth straight win of the season on Wednesday, powering past the UMass Boston Beacons in an impressive team performance, 13-6.

How It Happened
UMass Boston held the Bruins to just one hit through the first three innings, quickly jumping out to the lead, 1-0. Fox was able to take the lead in the fourth, however, when a double from Mason Eastman was followed by a two RBI single from Noah Meffert. 

The Beacons tacked on two more runs in the fifth and sixth innings, before back-to-back home runs in the top of the seventh saw them widen the gap, 6-3. George Fox exploded immediately to retaliate in the bottom of the inning, and once the bats got hot, there was no looking back.

Jonathan Stone, Bleu Ellis and Stanley Schoppe loaded the bases with three straight singles, before an RBI single from Mason Eastman drove home the first run of the comeback. A fielding error brought home the next runner to narrow the gap to tie the game with leadoff hitter Meffert up to bat next — and he delivered. The junior tripled to right field to drive home two more RBIs and scored off a bunt from Evan Balingit, giving the Bruins the lead, 8-6.

George Fox dominated the rest of the game, with another explosive team effort in the bottom of the eighth. Stone and Miller both notched on base hits, while Meffert had another huge two-RBI triple to extend Fox's lead to seven. The Bruins would not allow another hit in the game, cruising to victory in the final inning, 13-6.

Top Performances
Noah Meffert had a monster performance, going 3-5 in a performance which included two triples and six RBIs. Mason Eastman was also impressive, hitting 3-4 on the day, while Jonathan Stone was 3-5. Eight different batters recorded a hit in one of the Bruins' best team performances of their early 2024 campaign.  

On the mound, the Bruins utilized nine different pitchers — a record for the most pitchers used in a game — who each pitched a single inning on their way to a dominant team win. Michael Singleton led the way with two strikeouts, while Spencer Johnson was given the win.

History Made
Both the Bruins and Beacons made history in their Wednesday game, as Bruin assistant Carol Laube and Jacqui Reynolds became what is believed to be the first women's coaches to compete against each other in an NCAA baseball game.

What It Means
The Bruins improved to 10-5 (1-2 NWC) on the year after winning their fifth game in a row. UMass Boston is now 4-3 on their season.

What Comes Next
The Bruins will host their next NWC series this weekend against the Pacific Lutheran Lutes, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday. The first pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.