SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth exploded for 21 runs in the opener of a Northwest Conference baseball series against visiting George Fox on Saturday at Merkel Field, but the Pirates could not sustain the offensive momentum and settled for a doubleheader split against the Bruins.
Whitworth (13-7 overall, 4-4 NWC) defeated GFU 21-3 (10-9 overall, 4-4 NWC) in the first game, but lost 4-2 in the second contest. Caleb Gray hit two more home runs for the Bucs to increase his league-leading total to 10.
The teams will complete the series on Sunday with a single game at 2:30 pm.
Game 1 – Whitworth 21, George Fox 3
The Pirates surpassed 20 runs in a single game for the third time this season as Gray and Carson Coffield hit home runs to lead the attack.
The Bruins scored two runs in the top of the first on a two-run single by first baseman Brennan Bates. Whitworth answered with three in the bottom half of the first and never trailed again.
Coffield's three-run home run capped the Pirates' four-run second frame, extending the lead to 7-2. Whitworth put the game away with eight runs in the third inning. Dominic Giusti had a two-run single, while Gray added a two-out RBI single. Kyle Memarian, who doubled to lead off the third, added an RBI single later in the inning. Junior Garcia's run-scoring single finished off the rally.
Gray's two run home run to left field in the fourth was his ninth of the season and improved Whitworth's lead to 17-2.
Guisti added his second two-run single of the game in the eighth to cap the Pirates' scoring.
AJ Woodward started on the mound for the Bucs and improved to 3-1 after giving up the two first-inning runs before settling down to throw five strong frames. He allowed five hits and two walks while striking out four. Mason Green, Dillon McCardle, Jared Hardie and Rylen Blair each finished up with one inning of relief.
Aidan Rady (1-1) started for GFU and allowed 12 runs (nine earned) through 2+ innings. Spencer Simon (4.0 IP) and Grant Baskin (2.0 IP) combined to allow nine runs (three earned) in relief.
Gray finished the game 3-4 with three RBIs and three runs.
Game 2 – George Fox 4, Whitworth 2
Caleb Drebban threw eight strong innings for his first pitching win of the season and Ryder Edwards picked up his fourth save for the Bruins.
George Fox jumped ahead 3-0 in the first against Pirate starting pitcher Dylan Huntsman. Grant Strube drove in the first with a sacrifice fly and Bates following with a two-run homer to left.
Drebben and Huntsman traded zeros on the scoreboard for the next four innings. The Pirates did not pick up their first hit against Drebben, who retired the first ten Whitworh batters, until the fourth inning.
Evan Balingit hit a solo home run off Huntsman to lead off the sixth. The was enough support for Debban, who struck out six Pirates while scattering six hits over eight innings.
Gray got Whitworth on the board with his tenth home run of the year in the bottom of the eighth to cut the margin in half.
Edwards allowed a double to Brock Molenda with one out in the ninth, but he had two strikeouts and induced a pop up to end the game.
Huntsman fell to 1-2 after giving up four runs on six hits in six innings. Connor Ashworth threw three scoreless innings of relief.
