NEWBERG, Ore. -- In a midweek matchup that featured 18 pitchers, the George Fox baseball team dropped a close contest against Division II Western Oregon, hanging around in a game but ultimately fell, 5-8.

How It Happened
Grant Baskin got the start on the bump for the Bruins, and left three batters stranded in his first two innings before Jack Galanida stepped in. For the second straight week, Fox tied the record for most pitchers in a game with nine, a number Western Oregon matched.

The Bruins only managed one hit through the first six innings thanks to a third inning knock courtesy of Garrett Strube, who tallied his first career hit on the second pitch he saw. Though Strube would advance into scoring position later, he would be one of just two Bruins — the other being Noah Meffert — to get into scoring position over the next six.

During that time, the Wolves moved out to a five-run lead, slowly gaining ground with two runs in the fourth and sixth, and one in the seventh. Down 5-0, Fox moved their way back into the game with three runs of their own in the seventh.

Jonathan Stone was the first Bruin to score a run in the game, reaching via walk, advancing on a wild pitch, and coming home off of a Ty Davis RBI angle. Davis and Shayde Koga were next to score, as the pair were brought in on a Jared Miller RBI single. Though Miller was thrown out trying to advance to second, the damage was done — and Fox was right back in the game.

Western Oregon tried to wrangle back control with two runs of their own in the top of the eighth, but Fox hung thanks to Jared Whitaker; the catcher brought home Jeremy Sangalang with an RBI double and scored on a wild pitch to cut the Wolves' lead to 7-5. The two-run deficit was as close as the Bruins would get the rest of the game, as the Wolves tacked on one extra run for security to hand Fox the loss, 5-8.

Top Performances
Five Bruins picked up one hit apiece in the game, with Jared Miller leading the team with two RBI. Jared Whitake was the lone Fox athlete to pick up extra bases with his eighth-inning double. On the mound, Grant Baskin totaled four strikeouts in two innings.

What It Means
The Bruins fall to 11-8 (2-4 NWC) on the year, while Western Oregon improves to 12-13.

What Comes Next
After an eight-game home stand spanning two weeks, Fox will hit the road with a weekend series at Puget Sound. First pitch for the series is scheduled for noon on Saturday, March 23.