NEWBERG, Ore. – Kadyn Nannini drove in the winning run in both games and the George Fox University pitching staff stretched its string of consecutive scoreless innings to 40 with a doubleheader sweep of the University of Puget Sound Loggers, 9-0 and 8-0, in Northwest Conference baseball action Sunday afternoon here at Morse Field.
Bruin pitchers have not allowed a run since Whitworth University scored twice in the 5th inning of the second game of their series in Spokane, Wash., on Mar. 29. After four scoreless innings to close out that game, the Bruins won the third game 5-0, then took the first game of the Puget Sound series Saturday by a 9-0 score before adding Sunday's twin shutouts. No George Fox team had ever thrown more than two consecutive shutouts.
George Fox, ranked 19th in the latest Collegiate Baseball / ABCA poll and 23rd in the D3baseball.com poll, improved to 23-6 overall as its winning streak reached six. The Bruins are now 13-5 and in second place in the conference, four full games behind defending NWC and national champion Linfield College. Puget Sound fell to 7-16 overall and 5-10 in the league with its seventh straight setback.
Game 1 - at George Fox 9, Puget Sound 0
Ian Buckles (5-0) went the first seven innings for the Bruins, spacing eight hits with four strikeouts and one walk. Connor Harris and Kyle Albertson completed the whitewash with one inning and one strikeout each.
The Bruins got on the board against Collin Maier (2-3) in the 4th when Nannini drilled his first home run of the season to left with Zach Rapacz and Clay Mott aboard. His two-run double capped a six-run 7th inning that clinched the win. Earlier in the 7th, Danny Clifford singled in a run, Zac Israel drew a bases-loaded walk, and Mott stroked a two-run single.
The Bruins finished with 11 hits, Josh Rapacz, Mott, Nannini, and Matthew Zeller collecting two apiece. Nannini had five RBIs, while Zach Rapacz and Mott each scored twice. Nathan Backes and Chris Zerio had two hits apiece for the Loggers.
Game 2 - at George Fox 8, Puget Sound 0
Tom Zarosinski (6-2) went eight innings in the nightcap, allowing six hits and two walks while fanning two. Taylor Dunn pitched a 1-2-3 9th with one strikeout. The Bruins out-scored the Loggers 26-0 in the series.
Nannini again gave the Bruins the lead with a sacrifice fly to left in the 4th that scored Zach Rapacz. In the 5th, Derek Blankenship and Derek Dixon singled, Dixon stole second, and Zach Rapacz delivered a two-run single. The Bruins closed out the scoring with a five-run 7th, Clifford slugging a three-run home run, his fifth of the season, to right with Zeller and Blankenship aboard, and Israel singling in Dixon and Gabe Louthan later in the inning.
Zach Rapacz was 3-for-3 to lead a 13-hit attack by the Bruins, with Blankenship, Clifford, Josh Rapacz, and Dixon all getting two hits. Zach Rapacz had two doubles and Clifford added one as well.
NEXT: George Fox goes to Pacific Lutheran University for a critical conference series next weekend, with two on Saturday and a single game Sunday, starting both days at 12:00 noon … Puget Sound plays St. Martin's University Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. in a non-conference tilt.