Boxers Drop Pair Of Close Affairs With Bruins

Boxers Drop Pair Of Close Affairs With Bruins

Bookmark and Share

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

NEWBERG, Ore. – Pacific saw both of its starting pitchers get plenty of mileage Sunday, but in the end it was George Fox coming through offensively in a pair of tight Northwest Conference baseball action at Morse Field.
 
In the opener, Tyler Kotchik (Jr., Beaverton, Ore.) threw six innings of two-run baseball, but George Fox starter Clay Gartner limited the Boxers to five hits in a 2-1 victory.  Colin McCusker (Jr., Olympia, Wash.) threw nine innings of shutout baseball, but an error in the bottom of the 11th inning allowed the only run of the game home in a 1-0 win for the Bruins.
 
Nathan Suyematsu (So., Tualatin, Ore.) had three hits in the two contests to lead the Boxers at the plate.  Kyle Treadway (Jr., Phoenix, Ore.) and Justin Strayer (So., Ventura, Calif.) had a hit in each game.
 
Pacific dropped to 3-7, 0-5 NWC, while George Fox improved to 14-2, 4-1 NWC.
 
GAME 1: GEORGE FOX 2, PACIFIC 1
After retiring Pacific in order to begin the game, George Fox converted an error into a single run in the bottom of the first.  Josh Rapacz singled with two outs, but the throw to try and put him out at first went wide of the bag and Rapacz motored to second base.  Derek Dixon then lifted a double down the right field line to score Rapacz.
 
Zach Rapacz accounted for the Bruins' lone run in the fourth, doubling to leadoff the frame and scored on Zac Israel's single through the right side.
 
Treadway put Pacific on the board in explosive fashion in the top of the seventh, blasting a solo home run over the scoreboard in right-center field.  The home run ended a 26-inning scoreless streak by Gartner and the hit was one of just five allowed by the Bruins in the contest.
 
Kotchik fell to 1-2 with the loss, allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts.  Topher Mood (Sr., St. Helens, Ore.) threw only two innings of solid relief, allowing just one hit.  Gartner improved to 5-0, allowing one run on five hits with a season-high 14 strikeouts.  Dixon led the Bruins with a 3 for 4 performance.
 
GAME 2: GEORGE FOX 1, PACIFIC 0
The two starting pitchers threw outstanding games with neither figuring into the decision.  McCusker threw nine strong innings, allowing nine hits and three walks, struck out three and stranded 11 Bruins' runners.  George Fox starter Ian Buckles, meanwhile, allowed just two hits and struck out eight in seven innings.
 
Pacific came close to scoring in the sixth with Strayer reaching on an error, advancing to second on a groundout and going to third on Suyematsu's single.  Buckles then struck out Donnie Bradley (Jr., Beaverton, Ore.) to end the inning.
 
McCusker, meanwhile, worked out of a jam in the second when he put out Zach Rapacz out a third base and then picked off Clay Mott on his attempted steal of second before striking out Taylor Johns to end the inning.    The Bruins again had a runner on third in the seventh with two outs, but Dixon hit into a fielder's choice to close the frame.
 
The Boxers appeared to have a rally going in the top of the 10th when Walker Olis (So., Burlington, Wash.) singled with two outs and advanced to third on Strayer's single to left.  Matt Hopp (Jr., Portland, Ore.) then walked against reliever Christian Jarnigan before striking out Ben Duerr (So., Lebanon, Ore.) to end the inning. 
 
In the 11th, Suyematsu singled to open the frame, stole second and went to third on a groundout before Dan Jaffe (Sr., Las Vegas, Nev.) popped out to close the inning.
 
Israel singled through the left side with one out in the bottom of the 11th and reached second on a sacrifice bunt.  Matthew Zell hit a sharp ground ball to shortstop, but the ball was offline, which allowed Israel home for the winning run.
 
Jarnigan picked up the win in relief, allowing a hit and two walks while striking out two in 1.1 innings.  Sueymatsu took the hard luck relief loss for the Boxers, allowing one unearned run on one hit in 1.2 innings.
 
The two teams will conclude their three-game series on Monday in Newberg.  First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Print Friendly Version