SALEM, Ore. – Hammering out 18 hits in the first game and getting strong efforts from three pitchers in the second game, the visiting George Fox University Bruins swept a Northwest Conference baseball doubleheader from the Willamette University Bearcats 14-6 and 5-4 Saturday afternoon here at John Lewis Field.
Game 1 - George Fox 14, at Willamette 6
George Fox took advantage of two Willamette errors to score five unearned runs in the 2nd and never trailed. Derek Dixon reached on an error and third and was safe when pitcher Brandon Simon (2-2) threw high to second on Timothy Williams' bunt. Nick Benish drove in Dixon with a single, and Jared Chase drove in Williams on a squeeze bunt. David Greenstein, Taylor Hunter and Josh Rapacz added RBI singles to complete the outburst.
Willamette got its first run in the 3rd as Dylan Summers and Tyson Giza singled, and Summers scored on a groundout by Mitch Rowan. An RBI single by Hunter increased the Bruins' lead to 6-1 in the top of the 4th,but in the bottom of the inning, Semlacher singled, stole second base and scored on a single by Hunter Gallant.
The Bruins tallied two runs in the 6th on a sacrifice flies by Rapacz and Danny Clifford, and Benish belted a solo homer in the 7th to give George Fox a 9-2 advantage. Both teams added to their scores in the final two frames, the Bruins scoring four runs in the 8th and one in the 9th, while the Bearcats scored twice in each inning.
Bruin starter Brian Ranta (2-1) threw 7.0 innings, allowing six hits and two runs with three strikeouts and four walks. Greenstein and Hunter each went 3-4 and scored twice for the Bruins. Hunter also had two RBIs, while Greenstein drove in one. Benish finished 3-4 with two runs and two RBIs.
Semlacher was 3-4 for the Bearcats in the opener and scored two runs, while Gallant went 2-4 with two RBIs.
Game 2 - George Fox 5, at Willamette 4
George Fox built a 3-0 lead in the first three innings of the second game and held on with some fine pitching. Greenstein singled in the 1st and eventually scored on a single by Clifford. In the 3rd, Rapacz hit a two-out single and Clifford followed with a two-run homer to left field. The Bearcats got one back in the 3rd when Giza doubled to right and advanced to home on two ground outs.
The Bruins upped their advantage to 4-1 when Rapacz drove in Greenstein with a single in the 5th In the bottom of the inning, Giza areached first with two outs when a fly ball veered into fair territory and was dropped by Clifford at third. Giza stole second and Summers launched a homer to right-center, pulling the Bearcats within 4-3.
George Fox added an important insurance run in the 8th. With two outs, Clifford singled to left and went to second on a wild pitch before Dixon singled him home.
Rolenn Himuro doubled down the left field line with one out in the bottom of the 8th and scored on a double by Sky Kelley as the Bearcats cut the lead to 5-4, but reliever Alex Keenan faced just three batters in the 9th to earn his second for the Bruins.
Bruin starter Taylor Dunn improved to 3-1, allowing only two hits and one earned run in five innings with five strike outs and three walks. Clay Gartner worked three frames, allowing two hits and a run with two strikeouts and two walks, before Keenan finished up. Willamette starter T.J. Whidby went 6.2 innings with four strikeouts and no walks but fell to 0-2.
Clifford went 3-4 with a home run, scoring twice and driving in three runs, Greenstein was 2-4 and scored twice, and Williams went 2-4 with a double. Willamette had just four hits, all for extra bases - the homer by Summers and doubles by Himuro, Kelly and Giza.
Willamette (4-14, NWC 2-6) and George Fox (9-11, NWC 5-3) will conclude their three-game series with a single game on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.