NEWBERG, Ore. – Falling behind by six runs after only three innings, the George Fox University Bruins battled back to within two runs but eventually succumbed to the visiting Concordia University-Portland Cavaliers 9-6 in a non-conference baseball game Tuesday afternoon here at Morse Field in the makeup of a game that was rained out on Mar. 19.
Concordia struck for two runs in the top of the 1st off Bruin right-hander Eric Kittelson (3-2). Sheldon Austria doubled down the left-field line to lead off the game and Cole Shidaki walked before Ryne Briley singled to center for the first run. Shidaki, who went to third on Briley's hit, scored on Carl Beckert's chopper to first.
The Cavaliers added four more in the 3rd and knocked Kittelson from the game. Austria reached on an error at short to start the frame, but was forced at second by C.J. Watson. Shidaki's bad-hop single to second sent Watson to third, and he then stole second before Briley doubled down the left-field line to score both runners. Beckert singled to right to plate Briley, bringing on reliever Ian Buckles, who gave up an infield single to Jordan Keeker, a walk to Ben Talbot, and a sacrifice fly to Christian Lichtenthaler.
Concordia southpaw Ryan Garrett (3-0) kept the Bruins at bay over the first three innings, allowing only a hit to Kyle Kirwan in the second and getting the win as both coaches declared before the game that they would be employing several pitchers for short stints only. The Bruins, down 6-0, finally got on the board in the 5th against Gage Aker when Emmett Ackerlund walked and came around on singles by Jared Chase and Derek Dixon.
The Bruins closed within 6-4 in the 6th against Brannan Mossholder. Kadyn Nannini singled to right to lead off and Taylor Johnson doubled down the left-field line to score him with two out. Ackerlund then lofted his second home run of the season to right, and when Chase followed with a single to left, the Bruins had the tying run at the plate. Blake Evetts came in to get the final out on a fly to right, then shut the Bruins out over the next two innings, the only runner against him a two-out walk in the 8th.
The Cavs added three runs in the 7th against Spencer Eager that turned out to be necessary for the win. Keeker lined a run-scoring single to center with two out after walks to Shidaki and Beckert, the second intentional, and Elliott North delivered a two-run single through the left side to make it 9-4.
The Bruins scored their final runs in the 9th against Christian Bannister when Zac Israel singled to center and Dixon lined his fifth home run of the season to left. The Cavs' hurler got the final two outs, however, on a fly out and a strike out to preserve the win.
Kittelson was touched for six hit and six runs, four earned, in 2.1 innings in suffering the setback. Buckles worked 2.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts and only one hit and one walk allowed. After Eager, Alex Keenan closed with two innings of no-hit relief.
The Bruins had nine hits in the game, the Cavaliers 10. Chase and Dixon had two hits each for George Fox, Dixon driving in three runs, while Briley and Keeker had two hits apiece for Concordia, and Shidaki scored three times.
George Fox, ranked 14th in the latest ABCA / Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division III national poll and 17th in the D3baseball.com poll, fell to 19-8 overall. Concordia, an NAIA team, climbed within a game of .500 at 17-18.
NEXT: George Fox visits the University of Puget Sound this weekend for a key Northwest Conference series, taking on the Loggers in a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday, starting at 12:00 noon both days. ... Concordia-Portland hosts Lewis-Clark State College Friday at 6:00 p.m. in a single game that is the start of a four-game Cascade Collegiate Conference set with the Warriors, who are ranked fifth in the NAIA.