NEWBERG, Ore.  Whitman used big swings to help defeat host and 24th-ranked George Fox University, 9-8, in the opening game of Saturday's Northwest Conference doubleheader, but the nightcap worked its way only until the eighth inning before being halted by darkness and postponed for a Sunday finish.

The continuation of the game will begin at 11 a.m. at Morse Athletic Field, with the Blues batting in the top of the eighth and trailing 8-6.

Anthony Lim's three-hit performance in Game 1 helped ignite Whitman's victory.

The senior singled up the middle to kick off the game, moved to second on a balk then to third on a Joseph Zimmer single. Lim made it the final 90 feet on Lucas Thrun's single into center field.

The Bruins answered with a tying run in the bottom of the frame, but Lim and his teammates' bats were just warming up.

Whitman pounded out four runs in the top of the third, aided largely by a two-run home run by Thrun over the right field fence.

Court Osborn led off with a walk and eventually scored on a Tyler Lewis RBI ground out. Lim had followed Osborne with another single and advanced to second on Lewis' infield grounder before coming in to score on a Zimmer double into center.

Thrun followed with a big pop that didn't leave any doubts as to its landing spot.

Leading 5-2 entering the fifth the Blues used another big swing to increase their advantage.

A one-out walk to Zimmer and a single by Thrun put two runners on for Kyle Reisman. The junior picked a good time to register his first collegiate home run, depositing his three-run shot over the left field wall for an 8-2 lead.

Leading 8-4 in the seventh the Blues added a casual run that seemed to be nothing more than padding at the time.

It was an unearned run with Thrun coming home from third on a throwing error, but it would end up becoming the most important nondescript -- at the time -- run of the afternoon.

George Fox added three runs in the bottom of the seventh, then scored another in the eighth to pull within 9-8.

Though the Bruins put a runner on in the bottom of the ninth, the hit-by-pitch was a no harm-no foul inconvenience as Brendan Henry picked up the save with one final out.

Henry pitched the final 2 1/3 innings to earn his third save of the season, allowing one run on a walk and a strikeout, allowing starting pitcher Steven Ainsworth (2-3) to pick up the win after a stellar outing.

Ainsworth went 5 2/3s surrendering four runs, two unearned, on six hits and three walks while fanning eight. His strongest frame was his final full inning of work as he struck out a pair of Bruins to end the fifth.

Thrun and Lim had the active bats all game for Whitman as Thrun was 4-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored, while Lim was 3-for-5 and scored a pair of runs. Zimmer, with two hits, also added a multi-hit outing to the Blues' 12-hit attack.

Shortly after the completion of Game 2 on Sunday, the Blues and Bruins will go one more to finish off the three-game set.