NEWBERG, Ore. – In danger of losing three in a row against conference opponent Pacific Lutheran, the George Fox baseball team used some St. Patrick's Day luck with a walk-off walk in the ninth inning to secure an 8-7 win.

How It Happened
The Bruins fell behind quickly, giving up two runs early after a Lutes triple put a runner in scoring position right away. Noah Meffert wasted no time getting GFU on the board in response though, hitting a home run to left field on the third pitch of the at-bat and bringing the Bruins within one, 2-1. Meffert would come up big again just one inning later, as he hit a triple down the left field line that scored two runs. With a 3-2 lead, Evan Balingit added to the lead by driving in Meffert with a sacrifice groundout, giving Fox a 4-2 lead. 

The lead would be short-lived, though, as the Lutes would tie the game up just one inning later on a two-RBI single in the top of the fourth. The game would stay tied at four until the top of the sixth inning when the Lutes added three runs – the first on a bases-loaded walk, and the other two on the next at-bat with a two-RBI single. Down three runs in the bottom of the sixth, the Bruins managed to load the bases with one out for Jared Miller, who hit a sacrifice fly that scored a run, making the score 7-5 in favor of the Lutes.

Fox held the Bruins scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings, led by gutsy pitching from freshman Tyler Sileo, who managed to escape a bases-loaded jam in the seventh with a timely strikeout and pop-up. The scoreless innings set up a chance for the Bruins to tie the game in the eight, with the bases loaded and no one out, Meffert lined out to the left fielder for a sacrifice fly that brought the Bruins one run closer, 7-6, but they could not tie the game and went into the top of the ninth down a run. 

The Bruins got three huge outs from righty Austin McQuilliams and went into the bottom half of the ninth with three outs left to take the game back. Fox got off to a great start: Carson Coulter got on base with a hit-by-pitch, Kaden Oshiro walked, followed by another hit-by-pitch (this time the target was Shane McClendon) to load the bases with no outs for Mason Eastman – who was walking up to the plate with three hits already on the day. Eastman wasted no time tying the game on the first pitch with a sacrifice fly. 

With one out and runners on the corners, Ty Davis drew yet another walk to load the bases for Jared Miller. Miller proceeded to draw a walk in five pitches, sending the winning run home. The Bruins walked off the game with a walk, their third of the ninth inning. The Lutes bullpen threw three walks and hit two batters while recording just one out in the bottom of the ninth, leading to the heroic 90-foot jog to first base for Miller. 

Top Performances
Noah Meffert continued to hit like one of the hottest hitters in the conference, picking up a triple and a home run with four RBIs on the day before PLU resorted to intentionally walking him for the rest of the day. Mason Eastman went 3-4 with a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning that tied the game. Austin McQuilliams picked up the win for the game in what was a team effort from the mound, as the Bruins got solid contributions from Ben Wills, Braeden Munger, Spencer Simon, Tyler Sileo, and McQuilliams. 

What It Means
The Bruins picked up an NWC win and now sit at 11-7 (2-4 NWC) while the Lutes are now 5-10 (3-4 NWC).

What Comes Next
The Bruins wrap up their homestand with a mid-week game against the non-conference Western Oregon Wolves on Wednesday, March 20, at 3 pm in Newberg, Ore.