PHOENIX, Ariz. – Clutch hits in a two-run 8th inning and stellar pitching by Taylor Hill and Alex Keenan carried the George Fox University Bruins to their first win of the 2012 baseball season, a 5-3 victory over the Concordia University-Austin Tornadoes, in the Arizona Desert Classic Saturday afternoon here at Sandra Day O'Connor High School.
Finally putting it all together at the right time after seven straight losses, the Bruins picked up their win at the expense of the defending American Southwest Conference champion Tornadoes, who suffered only their second setback of the season in falling to 8-2.
Danny Clifford got the Bruins going with a solo home run in the 2nd, and they added two more runs in the 4th. Taylor Hunter reached on an error, David Greenstein doubled him to third, and Clifford's ground out scored Hunter. Nick Benish delivered Greenstein with a clutch two-out hit.
Hill worked the first seven innings, scattering four hits with three strikeouts and two walks, but left with a 3-3 tie after allowing three unearned runs in the 7th. In the 8th, after a walk to the Tornadoes' lead-off hitter, Keenan came on to get a strikeout and 6-4-3 double play to keep the game tied.
In the last of the 8th, Greenstein singled and Clifford doubled him to third, setting up run-scoring singles by Josh Rapacz and Zac Israel that would make Kennan (1-0) the winner. Greenstein finished the game with three hits, while Clifford, Rapacz, Benish and Israel had two hits apiece.
Keenan fanned the first batter in the 9th, then allowed two runners on a single and an error. However, the juco transfer from Mt. Hood Community College got another strikeout and a bouncer back to the mound to nail down the win
The Bruins conclude play in the tournament Sunday against the University of Texas-Dallas. The game will be played at Boulder Creek High School in suburban Anthem at 10:00 a.m.
The Arizona Desert Classic features 12 D-III teams - four from the Pacific Northwest, four from California, and four from Texas - with games being played at O'Connor and Boulder Creek High Schools. For complete tournament information, including the entire schedule, field locations, admission costs and other information, go to the information sheet on the George Fox baseball website at http://athletics.georgefox.edu/sports/bsb/2011-12/files/adcinfo.pdf.
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