McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Danny Clifford slugged two run-producing doubles to key a nine-run first inning and the 24th-ranked George Fox University Bruins went on to bludgeon Linfield College 10-2, their second win over the No. 1-ranked Wildcats this year, in the regular-season finale for both teams Sunday afternoon here at Roy Helser Field.
The game had been originally scheduled for the Bruins' Morse Field in Newberg, but with rain showers expected on and off again all afternoon, both George Fox coach Marty Hunter and Linfield coach Scott Brosius felt that the Wildcats' artificial-turf infield offered a better chance to complete the game. The Bruins played as the home team.
After George Fox right-hander Tom Zarosinksi (7-3) struck out three batters around a walk in the 1st, the Bruins went to work in the bottom of the inning to pin the first loss of the season on Linfield righty Zach Brandon (7-1). Derek Blankenship reached on a lead-off error at short and Clifford doubled down the right field line to score the first run of the game. A throwing error on a sacrifice bunt by Josh Rapacz to third allowed Clifford to score. Derek Dixon and Zach Rapacz were both hit by pitches to load the bases, and two runs scored on another error at third on Zac Israel's grounder. After a wild pitch, Clay Mott singled in two. Kadyn Nannini fanned, but that was the only out Brandon got as he then hit Matthew Zeller and was relieved by Garrett Speyer.
The inning continued as Blankenship reached on an error at second with Mott scoring, and Clifford scorched a drive to the center field wall to plate Zeller and Blankenship, capping the nine-run outburst. All the runs were unearned as the Wildcats committed five errors in the frame, totally uncharacteristic of a team that entered the game with the nation's best fielding percentage of .979 and was threatening to break the NCAA Division III fielding record - which happens to be a .979 average in 2005 by George Fox.
Three more Linfield relievers managed to keep the Bruins in check the rest of the way, though they did collect one more unearned run in the fifth off of Zach Manley. Blankenship drew a two-out walk, advanced to second when Clifford reached on a fielding error at short, and scored on a single up the middle by Josh Rapacz.
Zarosinski kept the Wildcats off the board through five innings, helped out in the 4th by Nannini in left, who threw out Eric Lawson at home trying to score from second on a single by Scott Hilpert to end the inning. He finally surrendered two runs in the 6th on an RBI single by Jo Carroll that scored Clayton Truex and a single by Lawson that drove in Kramer Lindell.
Zarosinski was done after six, having allowed seven hits and two runs with six strikeouts and two walks. Ian Buckles went the last three innings to earn his first save of the season, surrendering only one hit and no runs with two strikeouts and a walk.
Clifford, Josh Rapacz, and Mott had two hits each out of the Bruins' total of seven. Lawson and Hilpert had two safeties each for the 'Cats, half of their team total.
George Fox is now 28-12 while Linfield is 33-7. The Wildcats are already in the playoffs as Northwest Conference champions and will host the West Regional May 14-18. The Bruins must wait until May 12 to find out if they are one of 14 'Pool C' at-large bids, relying upon a 23-11 record against D-III competition, a good strength-of-schedule rating, and a 2-3 record against the top team in the nation to make their case.