George Fox Wins Suspended Game against Bearcats, 22-7

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- George Fox University pulled away from Willamette University for a 22-7 win on Wednesday, March 18, in the continuation of a Northwest Conference game suspended by rain on Saturday, March 14 after just three innings. GFU improved to 13-3 overall and remained undefeated in the NWC at 10-0. Willamette fell to 5-7 on the season, 3-3 in the NWC.

The teams were tied 3-3 when the game was suspended on Saturday, but George Fox scored two runs in the fourth inning and six runs in the fifth inning when the game resumed on Wednesday. Matt Wyckoff singled home both runs in the fourth. The Bruins registered five singles and two doubles in the fifth. WU trailed 11-3 after four and a half innings.

Willamette responded by scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth. The runs crossed home plate on a two-RBI homer by Kyle Stalker (Sr., 1B, Bellevue, WA/Sammamish HS), a solo home run by Jack McGee (Sr., P/3B, Hillsborough, CA/St. Ignatius HS) and an RBI single by David Tufo (Sr., 3B, San Bruno, CA/Burlingame HS).

Stalker's homer, his fourth of the season, went over the left field fence. He is WU's all-time leader with 40 career home runs.

GFU added five runs int he sixth inning to extend the lead to 16-7. After going scoreless in the seventh inning, the Bruins tacked on five runs in the eighth and one run in the ninth to complete the scoring.

When the game started on Saturday, George Fox plated the first two runs in the top of the second. Seth Anderson walked to start the inning. One out later, Eric Gantenbein blasted a two-run homer to left field.

The Bruins added a run in the top of the third for a 3-0 lead. Cody Curtin reached first base on an error and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Anderson.

WU scored three times in the bottom of the stanza. Tufo and Dan Maslanik (Sr., C, Boulder, CO/Fairview HS) walked to start the inning.

Doug Bloom (So., SS, Salem, OR/South Salem HS) hit a double to left field to score Tufo. Ellis Webster (Sr., 2B, Carlsbad, CA/San Dieguito Academy) singled down the right field line to bring home Maslanik and move Bloom to third. Stalker singled up the middle. Bloom scored on the play to tie the game at 3-3. A strikeout and a double play followed, as George Fox escaped the inning before play was suspended.

Overall, Wyckoff, Cody Curtin and Gantenbein each went 3 for 5 for the Bruins. Wyckoff scored twice and drove in three runs, while Curtin provided two runs and two RBIs. Gantenbein led all players with four runs scored. He also drove in two runs. Pat Bailey of GFU went 2 for 5 with a run and three RBIs.

Stalker led WU with a 3-for-4 performance. He scored once and drove in three runs. Tufo and Michael Rierson (Jr., CF, Salem, OR/Sprague HS) each finished the game 2 for 4 at the plate.

Reliever Travis Schroeder, 3-1, received the win for George Fox. Devin Grindy (So., RHP, Wasougal, WA/Camas HS), who went to the mound for Willamette for 1 1/3 innings when play resumed on Wednesday, took the loss and fell to 1-2 on the season.

Willamette is scheduled to play a four-game series at Pacific Lutheran University on Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22. The teams will play a doubleheader each day, starting at 12 p.m. (PDT).