WALLA WALLA, Wash. – In a series that was affected by Mother Nature all weekend long, Whitman College came up short in a 2-1 series loss to the George Fox University Bruins. The day's opening game, which began in the third inning, ended the Missionaries' five game winning streak. The Bruins scored a combined seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings to steal the win, 11-4. The Missionaries' bats, however, came alive in the second game of the afternoon leading the host Whits to solid lead before Fox stormed back for the 10-8 victory.
After giving up a quick run in the top of the first, Whitman tied the game in the bottom half of the inning.
Joseph Zimmer led off with a base hit and stole second. Although
Jake Wishart and
Adrian Vela both grounded out in the following at-bats, Zimmer was able to score, tying the game 1-1.
In the bottom of the third, the Missionaries opened up a big lead.
Anthony Lim's lead-off walk got the ball rolling in the right direction. Lim advanced to second on a pick-off attempt by Fox's pitcher Liam Kent. Zimmer reached base via error and moved Lim to third, after which Wishart singled to right field,
Adrian Vela walked,
Paul Heywood collected an RBI and
Milo Mincin bunted for a single to score Wishart.
When the inning was all said and done, the Missionaries had racked up five runs and led Fox 6-1. The Bruins later answered with a two-run fifth and cut the Whit lead to three, but Zimmer would give Whitman some breathing room in the sixth. With two outs and nobody on base, the sophomore standout crushed a solo homerun to extend the Missionary lead to four.
Everything began to unravel for Whitman late in the seventh inning. After an error, that would have been the third out of the inning, loaded the bases, the Bruins' Andrew Reichenbach connected for a grand slam, tying the game at 7-7. Fox added two more runs in the eighth and another in the ninth to steal the win and the series for the Whits.
When the first game was suspended late Sunday, the Missionaries trailed George Fox 3-1. After the Bruins scored in the fifth, Whitman answered with two runs, cutting its deficit to one, 4-3. The seventh inning proved costly to the Whits, who surrendered five runs on four hits. By the end of the inning, Fox had run out to a six-run lead. The Bruins tallied two more runs in the eighth inning, putting Whitman in an eight-run hole; a deficit that would stand to the end as Fox prevailed 11-4.
The Missionaries head off to Pacific Lutheran University this weekend for games on Saturday and Sunday, supposing the weather permits.
