SALEM, Ore. -- In their midweek night game, the George Fox baseball team went up against Willamette in a nonconference contest; Fox fell, 11-6, after a huge offensive fourth inning from the Bearcats.

How It Happened
In the first inning, Willamette wasted no time getting their bats going; after a triple in the gap and a grounder that scored a run the Bearcats took the first advantage of the game. Despite their early runs, starter Cole Schmidt and the rest of the GFU defense were able to limit them to only a singular baserunner. It was in the very next inning that the Bruins bats began to come alive; Dylon Poulin started things off with a hard hit single to the right side, before an Andre Butler base hit helped Poulin reach second without any problems. All it took was another well-placed hit from Berkley Reents down the right field line to send Poulin around to score to tie the game, 1-1. 

Fox continued their momentum into their defense through the next two innings. In the bottom of the second, Grant Baskin came in to pitch and made quick work of the Willamette batters for a one-two-inning. In the third, Luke Haener also made life difficult for the Bearcats from the mound in the third. While the Bearcats were able to get one runner in scoring position, GFU was able to get them out after a quick-thinking play at the plate to send them into the fourth. 

With two outs down, an offensive rally needed to happen if George Fox wanted to take the lead — and that's exactly what they did. Reents and Cole Martin were awarded walks after practicing good discipline at the plate to place them at second and first. Stepping into the box next was Kaden Oshiro, and he was sure to make the most of the opportunity; with a driving swing, he sent the ball to left field for a solid single that was able to bring Rents home to give the Bruins their first lead of the game, 2-1. 

Unfortunately, it was in the same inning that Willamette's bats also became hot. With two hits, a homer, and a Fox error, the Bearcats put up eight runs to significantly widen the gap in score, 9-2. George Fox remained resilient however, and in the next inning, they were able to find their defensive rhythm again with Spencer Simon pitching; after two consecutive outs, a strategic pick-off play at first thanks to Simon sent the Bruins to the sixth. Despite George Fox being down in the score, they were far from giving up — especially Jack Metcalf. He was able to square the ball on a go-ahead pitch to send it over for a solo home run, the first of his collegiate career, to slowly start closing the gap, 9-3. 

Over the next two innings, George Fox was able to hold Willamette so they couldn't cause anymore damage. In the bottom of the sixth, pitcher Luke Bell and GFU's defense was able to get out of the inning unscathed after having a runner in scoring position at third. In the seventh, Jack Galanida was putting in the work on the rubber; Galanida also recorded a pick-off play at first as well as a strike out for another speedy, defensive inning. It wasn't until the eighth that Fox got the chance to showcase their offense again, but when they did, they were sure to create chaos in the field. 

Gavin Price began the top of the eighth with a single to the right side before he found himself at second after a Reents walk. With a strong hit to the left side from Martin, it was enough to put the pressure on the Bearcat's defense; not only did it help Price slide into home, but it also helped Martin reach second as well, 9-4. However, George Fox's offense was far from being done. Jayson Au Hoy recorded another walk for GFU, but it didn't take long before he was moved to second and Martin reached third off of a Willamette wild pitch. After Danner Hamburg put the ball in motion  on a 2-2 pitch, it was enough to once again put the pressure on the Bearcats and caused them to overthrow the ball. With that single error, it not only scored Martin, but Au Hoy as well to make the score a closer 9-6. 

Despite the Bruins offensive answer, Willamette remained unfazed through their own hitting in the bottom of the eighth; they were able to record a few walks and a double, but it was just enough for them to gain back some of the runs they lost. While Fox tried to rally back in the ninth, they were unsuccessful, leading to a Bearcat win, 11-6. 

Top Performances
Over the course of the game, GFU recorded a total of nine hits; Andre Butler led the way with three which helped him go 3-4 during his plate appearances. The Bruins also had a total of four RBIs and seven walks. Many pitchers were brought out for the midweek game including Grant Baskin who — in the inning he pitched — was the only pitcher to have zero hits and walks. 

What It Means
Willamette rises to 8-20 while George Fox falls to 10-19 (8-10 NWC). While the game featured two NWC foes, it does not affect either team's conference record; the Bruins will face Willamette in NWC-counting contests on May 1 and 3.

What Happens Next
The Bruins will return to their home turf in Newberg, Ore. on Friday, April 17 for their first game of the four game series against No. 10 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 pm.