SPOKANE, Wash. – Danny Clifford went 6-for-9 on the day with two doubles, a home run, five runs scored and five runs batted in, leading the nationally-ranked George Fox University Bruins to a 10-4, 14-2 sweep of the Whitworth University Pirates in a critical Northwest Conference baseball doubleheader Saturday afternoon here at Merkel Field.
With the sweep, the Bruins, who are ranked 23rd in the Collegiate Baseball / ABCA poll, improved to 19-6 overall and 9-5 in the conference. The Bruins, hoping to stay in contention for the NWC title, entered the weekend fourth in the league standings. The Pirates fell to 6-16 overall and 3-8 in the NWC.
Game 1 - George Fox 10, at Whitworth 4
Led by Clifford's big first game that included the game-winning hit and a home run, the Bruins hammered out 13 hits for a come-from-behind win. Derek Blankenship added two hits and scored three runs, Matthew Zeller had two hits with a run scored and an RBI, and Derek Dixon drove in three runs with a single and two ground outs.
Benefitting from the attack was George Fox ace Clay Gartner (7-1), who went eight innings, striking out five and walking two. He gave up five hits in the 2nd inning when the Pirates scored all their runs, the big hit a two-run double by Matthew Miller, but was virtually untouchable in the other seven innings, allowing only two more hits. Christian Jarnigan finished up with a 1-2-3 9th, striking out two.
Down 4-1 after two innings, the Bruins began their comeback with two runs in the 3rd on an RBI single by Josh Rapacz and a Dixon fielder's choice. They tied it in the 5th on Clay Mott's fielder's choice that scored Rapacz, and went ahead in the 6th when Kadyn Nannini walked, was sacrificed to second, and scored on Clifford's single to center. Dixon later singled in Clifford for a 6-4 Bruin lead.
The Bruins added two in the 8th when Clifford powered his fourth home run of the season to right-center following a walk to Blankenship, and two more in the 9th on RBI singles by Zeller and Clifford.
The loss went to Carson Blumenthal (0-4), who allowed seven hits and six runs in 5.2 innings with three strikeouts and five walks. Thomas Wakem was the only Pirate with two hits.
Game 2 - George Fox 14, at Whitworth 2
The Bruin offense backed the combined four-hit pitching of Ian Buckles (4-0), Taylor Dunn and Nathan Higa with a season-high 20 hits. Buckles went seven innings, allowing three hits and two runs while striking out six and walking one. Dunn pitched a perfect 8th before Higa threw a one-hit 9th.
Clifford walked and scored the first run of the game in the 1st on back-to-back singles by Rapacz and Dixon, then doubled in Zeller for the first run in a three-run 3rd. Rapacz singled in Blankenship and Clifford scored on a fielder's choice by Zac Israel later in the frame. Clifford doubled in a six-run 4th that effectively sealed the win, Rapacz adding a two-run double and Israel a two-run triple to key the outburst.
Whitworth got its runs on a two-run triple by Gerhard Muelheims in the 5th, but the Bruins added two runs in both the 6th and 9th innings to remove any hope of a Pirates' comeback. Zeller singled in both runs in the 6th, and Taylor Johnson singled in a run in the 9th before the last run scored on a throwing error.
Cory Mack (2-3) took the loss for the Pirates, surrendering 10 hits and eight runs. Four relievers followed him, all of them allowing at least one hit. Rapacz went 3-5 and Zeller 3-3, with Blankenship, Clifford, Israel and Gabe Louthan all collecting two hits. Rapacz and Israel each drove in three runs.
The Bruins and Pirates will complete their three-game series Sunday with a single game at 12:00 noon.