Bruins Pound Whittier College to Complete 4-0 Trip in Arizona

The George Fox offense pounded out 14 hits against the Poets.

Salem-News.com SPORTS

ANTHEM, Ariz. - A six-run 7th-inning outburst enabled George Fox University to break open a tight ballgame and the Bruins went on to defeat the Whittier College Poets 12-5 Sunday afternoon at the Boulder Creek High School varsity field, completing a 4-0 run as the only undefeated team in the 2007 Arizona Desert Classic baseball tournament.

The Bruins held a slim 4-3 lead heading into the 7th before exploding, the big blow of the inning a bases-clearing double by Pat Bailey.

That secured the win for southpaw Nick Hedgecock (1-0), the second of four Bruin hurlers, who worked three no-hit shutout innings from the 5th through 7th.

Hedgecock had replaced starter Jeff Wheeler, who allowed two earned run in four innings. Drew Johnson finished up in the 9th and struck out the side.

The George Fox offense pounded out 14 hits against the Poets and pinned the loss on Blake Luitweiler (0-2).

Daniel Downs paced the attack with a 4-6 game and drove in four, while Dan Wentzell collected his fourth straight multi-hit game, going 3-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and three runs scored.

Bo Thunell and Matt Wyckoff each went 2-5, Thunell scoring three times and Wyckoff driving in three.

Whittier fell to 2-7 overall and 2-2 in the Desert Classic.

George Fox is now 4-0, and can tie the record for the best start in team history (the 1996 team opened up 5-0) when the Bruins play Corban College Thursday in the Yamhill County Spring Classic.

Game time is 2:00 PM at the Bruins’ Morse Field in Newberg.

Some tournament games will be also played at Linfield College’s Roy Helser Field in McMinnville.

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