SPOKANE, Wash. - Dan Scheibe pitched eight strong innings to lead Whitworth in a 2-1 series-opening victory over George Fox before the Bruins bounced back with a 16-5 win in the nightcap on Saturday at Merkel Field.
Thomas Wakem and Joshua Davis each collected four hits during the doubleheader to lead Whitworth (9-6, 3-2 Northwest Conference) against George Fox (7-8, 5-3).
The Pirates face the Bruins at noon Sunday to conclude the first NWC series at Merkel Field in 2015.
Game 1: Whitworth 2, George Fox 1
Scheibe allowed one run on five hits during the opener and Wakem provided the offense as Whitworth edged the Bruins in a pitchers' duel.
George Fox took an early lead in the second inning with a solo home run by Jacob Woehler. Two innings later Wakem answered for Whitworth with his first home run of the season, a solo shot, to center field.
The Pirates went up 2-1 in the fifth inning when Wakem connected for an RBI double to score Skyler Lookabill. Lookabill had reached on an error and advanced into scoring position with a stolen base.
Scheibe (4-0) struck out six batters and walked one in out-dueling George Fox starter Ian Buckles (2-3). Buckles allowed two runs (one earned) with five strikeouts and two walks over six innings pitched.
Carson Blumenthal pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his second save of the season.
Scheibe lowered his conference-leading ERA to 1.04. He also leads the NWC with four wins.
Wakem was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Joel Condreay finished 2 for 3 while Jeremy Druffel was 2 for 4 to lead the Pirates offensively.
Game 2: George Fox 16, Whitworth 5
The Bruins used an eight-run third inning and four-run fourth inning en route to a 16-5 victory during the nightcap.
The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Joshua Davis connected for his fifth home run of the season, a two-out solo home run to right field.
Jacob Thran doubled to lead off the top of the second inning for the Bruins and later scored on an RBI ground out by Tyler Hamilton to even the score a 1-1 heading into the third inning,
The Bruins produced five hits and took advantage of a Whitworth error in the third frame to open a 9-1 lead. Five of the first six Bruins to the plate in the frame reached safely. A two-RBI double by Zach Rapacz and a bases-loaded double from Brandon Wileman highlighted the inning for George Fox.
Wakem brought home Nick Motsinger in the bottom of the third inning with an RBI single to bring Whitworth within 8-2 but the Bruins struck for four more runs in next frame by way of a grand slam home run from Kadyn Nannini, his second home run of the season.
Once again the Pirates answered in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs via a three-RBI double by Davis. But Whitworth was held scoreless the rest of the way. The Bruins added three more runs, scoring in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings.
George Fox starter Sean Eberhardt (2-1) allowed five runs over seven innings for the Bruins. George Fox chased Whitworth starter Nick Scourey (2-1) after 2 ⅔ innings. Scourey allowed seven runs but only four were earned.
Davis was 3 for 4 with a walk, four RBIs and a run scored to lead Whitworth. Wakem finished 2 for 4 with a walk and an RBI.
Thran was 4 for 6 with three runs scored and an RBI to lead the Bruins.
