BOX SCORE

NEWBERG, Ore. – Despite a 3-for-4 performance at the plate by junior Gregg Romero, Corban's baseball team left 10 runners on base that included leaving the bases loaded twice in an 8-0 loss against George Fox in the opening game of the Cascade/Northwest Conference Challenge Thursday at Morse Field.

Corban (7-1) left the bases juiced in the fifth and seventh innings with two outs, but could not get any runner home leaving a goose egg on the scoreboard. Along with Romero, five other Warriors – senior Alex Bost, senior Any Hill, senior Marc Labarthe, sophomore Marc Gallegos, and sophomore Jordan Johansen – registered a hit each.

Senior Jamie McCaffrey got the start for Corban allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits in 4.1 innings of work, while seniors Caleb Virtue and David Hull combined to allow two earned runs on four hits over the final 3.2 innings.

George Fox would strike early when Timmy Williams singled through the left side in the bottom of the first inning to bring home Josh Rapacz for a 1-0 lead for the Bruins in their first home game in 21 months.

Three innings later, George Fox would plate another run with Zac Israel ripped a double to right field that allowed Williams to score putting the Bruins ahead by the score of 2-0.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, George Fox would put four runs on the board beginning with a fielder's choice RBI by Jared Chase before Zach Hegelmeyer stole home on an attempted pick off by Corban. Rapacz would then rip a run-scoring single to left field that allowed Chase to score, while Williams capped the Bruins' scoring with a RBI double that scored Rapacz to put GFU ahead by the score of 6-0.

George Fox would conclude the game's scoring in the bottom of the seventh inning when Derek Dixon doubled to right center allowing Rapacz to score his third run of the afternoon before Austin Egger ripped a single to left field that scored Dixon for the final margin of 8-0.

Rapacz and Hegelmeyer led George Fox's offense with a pair of three-hit performances, while Williams was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI. Connor Harris went the opening 5.0 innings for the Bruins allowing six hits en route to picking up his second win of the season before a trio of relievers – Clay Gartner, Spencer Eager, and Sean Eberhardt – combined to allow just two hits over the final 4.0 innings of work.

Corban will return to action on Saturday, February 23rd, with a pair of games in the Cascade/Northwest Conference Challenge beginning at 11:00 a.m. against Pacific University of Oregon at Roy Helser Field on the campus of Linfield College in McMinnville.