SPOKANE, Wash.- Visiting George Fox scored four runs in the top of the 13th inning to defeat Whitworth 5-1 in the finale of a Northwest Conference baseball series on Sunday at Merkel Field. The teams had combined for 52 runs in Saturday's split.
Whitworth fell to 8-20 overall and 5-12 in Northwest Conference play. The visiting Bruins improved to 13-16 overall and 7-10 in conference.
Both starting pitchers were dominant. Whitworth's Hunter Dryden carved GFU hitters for eight innings while allowing just one run on six hits, retiring 24 out of the 32 batters he faced. Ben Wills was just as strong for the Bruins, also going eight innings and giving up one run on five hits.
Whitworth's offense got things started in the first frame on a double steal with runners on first and third. Dawson Warner was able to score on the play from third base before the runner was tagged out in-between first and second base.
The Bruins were finally able to break their scoreless streak in the seventh inning with Jared Miller's RBI single.
George Fox loaded the bases in the tenth inning with just one out, but Jack Leary retired back-to-back hitters to get out of the jam. The Bruins' threatened once again in the 12th inning with a runner on third base but Dryden, now playing second base, threw out the go-ahead run at the plate on a ground ball.
In the 13th inning George Fox loaded the bases and Miller broke through with an RBI single as part of a four-run inning.
Ryder Edwards (4-0) came in as relief, throwing the final five innings while not allowing a single run or hit.
Leary (0-2) went 4.2 innings and gave up four runs on five hits. Riley Whelan finished the final 0.1 innings.
Whitworth will travel to Parkland, Washington next week where they will play Pacific Lutheran University in a Northwest Conference series starting on Friday.
