NEWBERG, Ore. – Lewis & Clark College baseball led early in Friday's Northwest Conference matchup, but George Fox University pulled away with a big offensive fourth inning to take an 11-4 win in the first game of the three-game weekend series.
THE BASICS
George Fox 11, Lewis & Clark 4
(Lewis & Clark 10-10-1, 2-5 NWC)
(George Fox 14-9, 5-5 NWC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Junior
Brennen Davis hit his seventh home run, and sophomore
Brandon Gonzaga hit a sacrifice fly to record RBI for the Pioneers.
Freshman
Shane Buchbinder pitched three scoreless innings and struck out a career-high four batters in relief. The righty entered the game in the fifth and allowed only two hits after the Bruins put up 12 hits and 11 runs.
Lewis & Clark took a 2-1 lead in the second when
Michael Aikawa hit a ground ball to the shortstop with the bases loaded and no outs. The freshman reached safely on a fielder's choice and scored senior
Jakob Ghammachi, then a throwing error scored freshman
Bret Potter.
After George Fox tied the game at two in the bottom of the second, Davis hit a lead-off homer to center field in the top of the third to put Lewis & Clark back on top 3-2.
Junior
Justin Cavagnaro doubled to center to lead off the top of the fourth inning after the Bruins tied the game again. Aikawa was walked to put two runners on with no outs, and senior
Jack Savant laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners to scoring position. Gonzaga scored Cavagnaro from third on a sacrifice fly to centerfield, giving the Pioneers their final lead of the game, 4-3.
The Bruins responded with six runs in the bottom of the inning and two more in the fifth before Buchbinder entered to quiet their bats. The freshman gave up two hits and struck out three batters in the seventh inning.
Lewis & Clark threatened to score in the top of the ninth after Aikawa reached on an error, and Savant was walked to start the inning. Davis hit a one-out single to load the bases, but George Fox completed the final two outs to secure the win.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Freshman Connor Broschard pitched one inning of relief, walking one and giving up only one hit.
- Ghammachi reached base safely for 13th straight game, the longest streak on the team this season.
- Potter and Davis finished with two hits against the Bruins and notched their fifth multi-hit game of the season.
WHO'S NEXT
The Pioneers will complete the series against the Bruins tomorrow with a double header at noon and 3:30 p.m. in Newberg.