FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Clay Gartner of George Fox University out-dueled Pacific University ace Rob Dittrick in the first game and the visiting Bruins used 15 hits and several costly errors to score big in the second game, sweeping the Boxers 2-0 and 14-4 in a Northwest Conference baseball doubleheader Saturday afternoon here at Chuck Bafaro Stadium.
The twin wins enabled George Fox (12-4, NWC 5-0) to keep pace with Linfield College, which won twice at Willamette University, atop the conference standings. Pacific, a defending NWC co-champion along with Whitworth University, remained winless this season at 0-11 overall and 0-5 in the league.
Game 1 - George Fox 2, Pacific 0
Gartner (3-0) twirled a dandy in the opener, and needed to do so to get the better of Dittrick, a two-time All-Conference performer who was the NWC Pitcher of the Year in 2011. The Bruins' right-hander surrendered two-out singles in the 1st to Walker Olis and Logan Moen, but fanned Donnie Bradley to end the Boxers' only real scoring threat. He did not allow another hit the rest of the way in hurling his second straight complete game, striking out 11 and walking two. Pacific advanced just two runners past first base.
The Bruins scored their first run in the 3rd as Zach Hegelmeyer and Emmett Ackerlund both laid down bunts to open the inning and reached safely on Boxers' miscues. Matthew Zeller loaded the bases with a third bunt that rolled fair down the third base line for a hit, and Zach Miller followed with a fielder's choice that scored Hegelmeyer.
George Fox had runners on first and second with none out in both the 4th and 6th innings, but in both instances Dittrick pounced on Bruin sacrifice bunt attempts in time to get the runners at third to thwart the rallies. The visitors were finally able to punch another run across in the 7th, however, when Hegelmeyer was hit by a pitch and scored two batters later on a Zeller single through the left side.
Dittrick (0-2) threw his first complete game of the year, allowing two runs, one earned, on nine hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Josh Rapacz went 3-4 with a double for the Bruins, while Zeller had two hits and Hegelmeyer scored both runs.
Game 2 - George Fox 14, Pacific 4
Pacific made five errors that contributed to seven unearned runs for George Fox in the nightcap and the Bruins used them to turn out a four-run 4th inning and a five-run 8th, backing southpaw Connor Harris (4-0), who turned in seven solid innings, and Spencer Eager, who pitched two perfect relief innings.
Each team benefitted from errors to score single runs in the 2nd. In the top of the frame, Derek Dixon reached with one out on an error and scored on Timothy Williams' triple to the wall in left-center. In the home half, Austin Gallagher doubled with one out and scored when Nick Tasaka reached on an error.
The Bruins took the lead for good in the 3rd when Miller reached on a force out, advanced to second on a ground out, and scored on Danny Clifford's single. They then broke the game open in a four-run 4th that saw the Boxers commit three errors. Zac Israel scored the first run when Zeller lined out to short with the bases loaded but a throw to try and double up Ackerlund at second went wide of the bag. Miller, Rapacz, and Clifford followed with RBI singles to hang four unearned runs on the board.
The Bruins added one in the 7th when Clifford walked, Dixon was hit by a pitch, and after a force out, Hegelmeyer singled in Clifford before the Boxers' bats came alive in the home half. Nick Garrett singled with one out and was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Charlie Gaff singled in Garrett, and Trux French roped a single through the left side to score Gaff and Michael Arakaki.
Leading only 7-4, George Fox put the game away with an explosive five-run 8th. Zeller walked to open the frame, and Miller reached on an error before Rapacz followed with a single to right that scored Zeller. Clifford singled to plate Miller, Dixon singled to load the bases, and Williams rolled a two-run single through the left side. Hegelmeyer brought home the fifth run on a fielder's choice. The Bruins plated two more in the 9th on a two-run single by Dixon.
Harris allowed four runs, three earned, on nine hits with two walks and three strikeouts in his seven innings. Kyle Treadway (0-4) took the loss for the Boxers, allowing six runs, only one of which was earned, on eight hits with a walk and four strikeouts in six innings.
Clifford led the Bruins' attack with a 3-4 game, scoring twice and driving in three. Zeller, Miller, Rapacz, Dixon and Williams all had two hits, Zeller scoring four times and Williams knocking in three. Gaff had two hits for Pacific.
NEXT: George Fox and Pacific conclude their three-game series Sunday with a single at 12:00 noon. Pacific will provide live stats and live video on its website, while George Fox will have live audio streaming by campus station KFOX radio.