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George Fox finishes the conference season
20-4; now needs help to gain an automatic regional bid |
By B. Scott
Anderson, Newberg Graphic sports editor
E-mail Scott at banderson@eaglenewspapers.com
|
Thursday’s game wasn’t typical for the Bruins. But,
then, this season hasn’t been typical.
As a squad that doesn’t boast as much power in the lineup as it has in
the past, the George Fox University baseball team used four home runs, including a grand
slam by Derrick Jones in the first inning, to notch a 9-7 home win over Pacific
University.
The elements could
have played a role for GFU.
“The wind was kind of blowing,” said GFU coach Pat Bailey, whose
team now has 29 home runs on the season. “About 10 games ago, we had 13 home runs and
I think as the air has gotten a little lighter, we’ve just hit more out.”
The Bruins took a 6-1 lead, but nearly blew it. In the sixth inning, Pacific
capped off five unanswered runs to tie the game at 6-6 on a three-run home run by Aaron
Svarthumle. After the Bruins added a leadoff run on a Marc Mason sacrifice RBI in the
bottom of the sixth, Pacific’s Matthew McCord responded with a two-out solo home run.
GFU senior shortstop David Peterson said it was frustrating to nearly have
the game wrapped up, only to see Pacific make a comeback.
“Me and (second baseman teammate C.R. Braniff) weren’t really
worried, but we were just frustrated with the pitching staff giving up two-out home runs
with two strikes,” he said. “Our offense is battling and scoring runs for them,
but just to give them up was frustrating. We didn’t really worry, though, because we
knew we could battle.”
The Boxers outhit the Bruins in all three games the teams played, so
they’re comeback wasn’t unexpected, Jones said.
“They’re a really good hitting team,” he said. “They hit
the ball really hard and I wasn’t surprised they came back. A lot of credit goes to
them because they’re a really gutsy team.”
The Bruins bounced back in the eighth. Gehrig Richins and Daniel Downs
slammed back-to-back home runs off Pacific’s Adam Azril. The runs proved to
sufficient for GFU freshman reliever Nick Hedgecock, who gave up two hits in the ninth,
and the GFU defense, including a spectacular diving stab and throw by Peterson to end the
game.
Peterson said he felt pressure at the beginning of the game, but eventually
calmed down once the game went along.
“I’m usually an intense guy at the start of the game until the
first pitch is thrown, but once we (scored) the four runs in the first inning, I think
everybody calmed down and relaxed,” he said. “We all knew we had to win and we
were going to do anything to do that.”
Jones, who also hit a solo home run to lead the third inning off for the
Bruins, collected five RBI on the day.He said when he got ahead in the count in the first
inning he knew Pacific pitcher Derek Haner would have to throw a fastball. Haner did and
Jones crushed it.
“I was surprised it went out of the yard, but every time I hit one
I’m surprised because I’m not a big power hitter,” Jones said.
George Fox, ranked 18th in the latest NCAA Division III national poll and
third in the West Region, improved to 29-8 overall and finished NWC play with a 20-4
record, equaling last year’s mark for best conference record ever.
Bailey said few believed the Bruins would be able to repeat as conference
champions after losing Major League Baseball draftees Scott Hyde (the College World Series
MVP as a pitcher) and Greg Dombek, along with four-year starter Stephen Donahue,
three-year starter Josh Sargent and four of the team’s top five pitchers.
“What I think is awesome for this team is that I really, honestly
believe that nobody thought we had a chance to win a conference championship this
year,” Bailey said. “These guys found a way to get it done and I’m really
proud of them. I don’t think a lot of people thought we would be 29-8 at this
point.”
The Bruins now await the outcome of two other NWC series this weekend:
Linfield College at Pacific and Whitworth College at Pacific Lutheran University. Both
Linfield and PLU are 17-4, and sweeps by one or both would enable those teams to tie the
Bruins. If both lose one in their series, the Bruins would have the conference crown all
to themselves, as well as the NWC’s automatic bid to the NCAA national tournament. In
the event of a two-way tie, either Linfield or PLU would get the bid because each beat the
Bruins in the season series. In a three-way tie, the edge goes to PLU, which beat both
Linfield and George Fox two-out-of-three.
“By sweeping Pacific, it puts a ton of pressure on PLU and Linfield
because now they have to sweep or they’re done,” Bailey said. “I think if
Linfield, though, wins two of three, I think they will get an at-large bid, just because
of their record.”
For a team that is mathematically out of postseason contention, Pacific
(15-16 overall, 10-11 NWC) has probably the most say in what teams will make it to the
postseason. During GFU’s two-game sweep of the Boxers Sunday, a T-shirt could be seen
hanging in the Pacific dugout that said, “The road through the Northwest Conference
championship goes through Pacific.”
Bailey acknowledged the message.
“It’s true,” he said. “It kind of became a motivational
thing for them and they battled us. These were three of the toughest wins that we’ve
had. Getting a sweep with the way they played us was huge. I’m very proud of our
guys. We were going to find out how tough our guys were today.”
Jones said the Bruins knew they had to defeat Pacific, a team that
hadn’t been swept in a three-game series all season long.
“All the pressure was on us today,” he said. “There was no
pressure on them. All year we’ve gotten ahead early in the game and sort of given up
the lead and then made it a close game at the end.”
George Fox, in the midst of its finals week, had not only to deal with the
pressure of the game, but nearly half of the players were suffering from sleep deprivation
due to studying.
“I think if you combine all of that, it just makes me really proud of
our players, very proud,” Bailey said.
The Bruins start a three-game series against Chapman University Sunday before
closing out the regular season at home with three games against Cal State University -
Hayward next weekend. All six games are critical to the GFU postseason hopes if it
doesn’t win the Northwest Conference title and it’s automatic berth into the
western regionals.
“Those are all must-win games because as of right now, we’re going
to be at least co-champions if the other two teams sweep,” Peterson said.
Jones said the Bruins are not only capable of winning the western regionals,
but repeating as national champion.
“I think it’s very repeatable for us,” he said. “I think
throughout our lineup, it’s tougher this year. The only thing is that we don’t
have the one guy like Scott Hyde who was as dominating as he was. But our coaching staff
has done a great job and our bullpen is stronger this year.” |
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From
April 30, 2005, Newberg Graphic
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