NEWBERG, Ore. – Handing head coach Marty Hunter his 150th college coaching win in the first game and giving him a bonus victory in the second, the 15th-ranked George Fox University Bruins defeated the defending Northwest Conference baseball champion Whitworth University Pirates 5-1 and 11-3 Friday afternoon here at Morse Field.
The twin wins boosted the Bruins' overall record to 18-7 and kept them two games behind league-leading and No. 1-ranked Linfield College, which swept the University of Puget Sound 9-0 and 7-3, at 11-3 in the league. The Pirates, who went to the NCAA Division III World Series last year, saw their current losing streak reach six as their record fell to 9-14-1 overall and 4-7 in the conference.
Hunter is now 151-81 in his sixth season as the Bruins' head coach. He is the third baseball coach in George Fox history to reach 150 wins, along with Pat Bailey (353-158, 1996-2007) and Pat Casey (171-113-1, 1988-94), who are now at Oregon State University as assistant coach and head coach respectively.
Game 1 - George Fox 5, Whitworth 1
Another strong performance by ace right-hander Clay Gartner (5-0) and a clutch three-run double by Zach Hegelmeyer were the keys to the Bruins' first-game win, which gave Hunter his 150th win. Gartner went the distance, scattering six hits with two strikeouts and a walk while throwing his third complete game.
The Pirates got their only run in the 1st. Nck Motzinger led off the game with a bouncer which hit off the lip of the grass, bouncing high and off the glove of first baseman Derek Dixon for a bad-hop single. Jeremy Druffel sacrificed him to second, and Tyler Pfeffer lined a single to center to score Motzinger.
The Bruins tied it in the 2nd with an unearned run against Pirate fireballer Dan Scheibe (2-3). Danny Clifford doubled to the fence in right and scored when Timothy Williams' bunt single was thrown away at first by Scheibe.
A four-run 3rd gave the Bruins all the runs they would need. Zac Israel started the frame with a double to right, Matthew Zeller put runners on the corners with a bunt single to third, and Zach Miller singled up the middle to score Israel with the tie-breaking run. Dixon's bunt single loaded the bases, but Scheibe appeared about out of the jam after he fanned Clifford and got Williams on a liner to second. Hegelmeyer came through with a sharp double just inside the bag at third that cleared the sacks, however.
Schiebe only allowed one more hit over the final five innings, but the damage had been done. He finished with nine strikeouts and two walks while allowing eight hits. Dixon had two safeties, the only player in the game with multiple hits.
Game 2 - George Fox 11, Whitworth 3
The Bruins banged out 13 hits in the second game, Dixon going 3-for-4 with a home run to lead the way, and Ian Buckles (2-0) threw a solid 4.1 innings of one-run relief to get the win.
George Fox took a 1-0 lead in the 1st when Zeller was hit by a pitch by Whitworth southpaw Carson Blumenthal (3-2), was sacrificed to second, stole third, and scored on the catcher's overthrow. The Pirates tied it in the 2nd as Gerhard Meulheims reached on an error at second, advanced on a single to left by Thomas Wakem and a bunt single by Nathan Jewett, and came in on Erik Nikssarian's sacrifice fly to left.
The Bruins broke the tie in the 4th. Kadyn Nannini singled to left to lead off, moved up on a balk, went to third as Israel reached on an error at second, and Zeller doubled down the left-field line to score them both.
A seven-run outburst in the 5th sealed the win for the Bruins. Clifford and Williams singled and Hegelmeyer walked to fill the bases with none out, bringing on Jason Renner in place of Blumenthal. Nannini greeted him with a two-run single to left, and Jared Chase singled to right to score Hegelmeyer. A double by Israel off the wall in left-center plated Nannini, and Dixon slugged his third home run of the season to left to cap the rally.
George Fox southpaw Connor Harris worked 4.2 innings, scattering six hits with six strikeouts, but walked three and threw nearly 100 pitches before exiting in the 5th. In that inning, Druffel walked, stole second, and scored on a two-out hit up the middle by Muelheims, bringing on Buckles, who allowed only one hit with two strikeouts and two walks in getting the victory.
The Pirates got their last run in the 7th as Pfeffer walked, advanced on a ground out by Josh Davis, and scored on Muelheims' single to center. Buckles then set down the final seven Pirates in order.
Joining Dixon in the Bruins' hit parade were Clifford, Williams and Nannini with two apiece. Muelheims and Wakem each had two of the Pirates' seven hits.
The Bruins and the Pirates will conclude their series Sunday with a single game at 12:00 noon.