NEWBERG, Ore.—Luke Ritter and Anthony Clerici combined for 17 strikeouts in game two, to lead Lewis & Clark to a conference doubleheader split with host George Fox University on Saturday at Morse Athletic Field. 

Ritter and Clerici limited the Bruins to just five hits and one run in a 5-1 game two victory.  

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GAME ONE KEY MOMENTS: 5-1 GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY 

Three George Fox pitchers combined to limit Lewis & Clark to six hits and one run in a 5-1 game one victory. The combination of Sean Wiese (six innings), Alex Abbott and Andrew Sutherland (two innings) scattered four walks and six hits and just one earned run. 

On the Pioneers side, Brett Pierson took the loss after allowing five hits and three runs in five innings. Pierson also struck out seven batters. Tyler Shimabukuro limited the hosts to just one earned run over three innings of work. 

George Fox took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first and extended their advantage to 3-0 in the third. 

Lewis & Clark cut the deficit to 3-1 in the fifth. With two down, Jack Thomson doubled to right center and raced home on a Luke Bass RBI single. 

The hosts tacked on two more runs in the seventh to make it 5-1. 

Lewis & Clark tried to mount a rally in the ninth. Dylan Moore and Will Heron each reached with one out but Sutherland induced a game-ending, double-play ball to close out the contest. 

GAME TWO KEY MOMENTS: LEWIS & CLARK 5-1 

Ritter and Clerici were dominant and the visitors scored five runs between the fifth and seventh innings to earn the doubleheader split.

Ritter set new career-highs in innings pitched (seven), strikeouts (11) and tied his career-low with just one earned run allowed. The freshman southpaw pitched into the eighth inning and scattered three hits, four walks and one earned run. 

Clerici came on in the eighth and struck out six of the nine batters he faced.

Luke Bass, Jakob Ghammachi and Mason Lee each had two hits for the Pioneers. Bass chipped in two RBI, while Lee scored twice out of the nine-hole.  

With the game scoreless through four innings, Lewis & Clark used a two-out rally to take the lead for good in the top of the fifth. Lee doubled with two outs and scored on Brennen Davis' RBI single. 

The Pioneers blew the game open in the sixth. Jack Savant worked a leadoff walk and moved to third on a Thomson single. Bass followed with an RBI single and Ghammachi made it 3-0 on an RBI double that chased the George Fox starter. Heron greeted the reliever with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0 after 5.5 innings. 

In the seventh, Lewis & Clark put two on with two outs after a Lee single and an intentional walk to Thomson. Bass made the Bruins pay, as he singled down the left-field line to score Lee. 

The hosts did the majority of their damage against Ritter in the bottom of the eighth. Each of the first two batters reached to force a call to the bullpen. Clerici allowed an RBI single to the first batter he faced, before striking out three of the next four to leave the bases loaded. 

In the ninth, Clerici walked the leadoff batter, before mowing down the Foxes with three more strikeouts. 

DEEPER LOOK  

• The Pioneers 17 strikeouts in game two are their most this season and their most since March 15, 2015, when Lewis & Clark struck out 15 batters in game two against Pacific University. 
• Ritter's 11 strikeouts are the most by a Lewis & Clark pitcher this season. Pierson recorded 10 strikeouts on February 11 in a win over Cal Tech. 
• Lewis & Clark has now won three of their past four meetings against George Fox in Newberg.  
• Ritter has now allowed one earned run in three of his first five collegiate starts. On the year, he leads the team with three wins and a 3.07 ERA. 
• With the win, Lewis & Clark earned their tenth road win of the year and are now 10-7 on the season in road contests. 

WHO'S NEXT 

Lewis & Clark will look to earn their second conference series win of the season on Sunday, when they take on the Bruins for a single game starting at Noon.