NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox baseball team struggled to find a steady rhythm in their tough Division II matchup against the Western Oregon Wolves, dropping the midweek game, 13-1.

How It Happened 
After a scoreless first inning Western Oregon jumped ahead in the top of the second, using a double down the left-field line to bring home two runs. A single up the middle followed shortly after, driving in two more and giving the visitors an early 4-0 lead. 

Fox tried to respond in the bottom half of the inning with singles from both Andre Butler and Adam Fulton, but couldn't find a way to bring the runners home against Western Oregon's defense.

The Bruins relief pitchers held the Wolves scoreless through the third and fourth innings, before the Wolves broke through again in the fifth, tacking on two more runs to extend their lead, 6-0.

Fox's offense showed signs of life in the bottom of the sixth, when Mason Eastman led off with a single, followed by another single from Evan Balingit. Carson Coulter then delivered an RBI single to center field, putting George Fox on the board. However, the rally ended there, as the Wolves' bullpen shut down any further threat with back-to-back strikeouts, and added two runs of their own in the top of the seventh.

The Bruins loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh, however, to keep a glimmer of hope alive. Fulton hit a single to left field and pinch hitter Danner Hamburg drew a walk, before both runners advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Calvin Gully then drew a walk to fill the bases with two outs, but the offense couldn't convert, leaving the runners stranded. 

Western Oregon's offense remained relentless for the rest of the game, adding five more runs and holding Fox to just one hit over the final three innings to seal a dominant victory, 13-1.

Top Performances
Freshman Adam Fulton impressed in just his second start as a Bruin, going 2-3 on the day as well as drawing a walk to lead the team with the bat. Fulton also recorded his first career put out and assist at shortstop. Mason Eastman scored the team's lone run in his 1-3 batting performance, while Evan Balingit, Carson Coulter and Andre Butler also finished with one hit each.

What It Means
The Bruins fall to 9-8 on their season (3-3 NWC), while Western Oregon improves to 4-13 on the year. 

What Comes Next
The Bruins will look to regain momentum when they travel to Spokane, Wash. for a Northwest Conference series against the Whitworth Pirates. The matchup gets underway with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 22nd, and first pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.