NEWBERG, Ore.—Lewis & Clark College completed their first three-game Northwest Conference series sweep in nearly two years, with an 8-2 win over host George Fox University on Sunday afternoon.
THE BASICS
Lewis & Clark 8, George Fox 2
(Lewis & Clark 15-13, NWC 8-7)
(George Fox 11-17, NWC 5-12)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Sophomore
Owen Eisen struck out nine and allowed one run over seven innings to help the Pioneers complete their first NWC series sweep since April 15-16, 2023. The Pioneers won all three games against George Fox that weekend at home to secure the second seed in the NWC Tournament.
Eisen was dominant in improving to 3-2 on the year. He scattered four singles, one double and two walks over a season-high seven innings. He posted a career-high nine strikeouts in the win.
First year
Dillon Foster allowed one run in the eighth inning and sophomore
Bret Potter struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
Potter was the lone Pioneer to finish with multiple hits. The right fielder went 2-3 with two runs scored. Junior
Joaquin Sandoval added a double, two runs scored and a pair of RBI. Senior
Will Heron chipped in a hit, two RBI and two walks and sophomore
Michael Aikawa notched a hit, two runs, an RBI and a walk.
George Fox took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Adam Fulton singled with one out, took second on a groundout and raced home on an Evan Balingit RBI single.
Lewis & Clark scored six runs over their next three at-bats to take control of the game.
They tied the contest in the top of the fourth. Aikawa reached on a dropped fly ball with one out. Heron tied the game with a single to left-center that scored Aikawa from second.
The visitors took the lead for good with a four-run, fifth inning. Potter started the rally with a single.
Eli Steinhaus followed with a walk and both runners moved up 90 feet on a
Brandon Gonzaga sac bunt. Sandoval drove both runners in with a two-run double and Aikawa tacked on an RBI single to make it 4-1. Aikawa moved to second on a wild pitch, third on a passed ball and scored on a passed ball with two down.
Lewis & Clark tacked on a sixth run in the sixth. Potter opened the frame with a single and stole second. With two down, Gonzaga singled to center field to score Potter.
George Fox cut the deficit to 6-2 in the eighth. Balingit led off with a double and took third on a wild pitch. He scored on a one-out RBI single. After another single put two runners on with one out, Foster induced a popup and fly out to end the rally.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Lewis & Clark's pitchers combined to strike out 11 batters and walk just two. The team's 11 strikeouts are tied for their most in a single-game this year.
- Eisen's nine strikeouts are the most by a Pioneers pitcher since Brett Pierson ('24) struck out 13 against Vassar College on March 15, 2024.
- Potter finished the weekend hitting .444 (4-9) with a team-high five runs. Sandoval and Aikawa each posted a team-high five RBI.
- Eisen has allowed just two earned runs over his last three starts. He is 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA in 18 innings over that span.
- Heron moved into a tie for 15th in program history for a single-season with 35 RBI.
- The Pioneers are above .500 in conference play (8-7) for the first time since they wrapped up the 2023 regular season 15-9.
WHO'S NEXT
The Pioneers will host Warner Pacific University in a non-conference contest on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
