A FEW HOME RUNS

5/7 -CSU-EAST BAY 3-14, GEORGE FOX 2-4:NEWBERG, Ore. - An 8-run 3rd-inning explosion that featured 9 consecutive hits, all with two out, enabled the California State University-East Bay Pioneers to turn a one-run game into a rout, and the Pioneers went on to a 14-4 victory, completing a non-conference baseball doubleheader sweep of the 18th-ranked George Fox University Bruins Saturday afternoon here at Morse Field. The Bruins dropped the opener 3-2 despite two home runs by Dan Wentzell.

Archie Gilbert got the Pioneers going in the 1st inning of the first game with his 4th home run of the season, a solo shot to left-center off Bruin southpaw Brandon Rupp (7-5). The Pios made it 2-0 in the 4th as Domingo Rodriguez, who was 4-for-4 in the game, doubled and rode in on Ben Lopez’s double just inside the bag at third.Wentzell homered into the GFU softball field well beyond the right-field fence in the 4th to cut the lead to 2-1, but East Bay got it back in the 6th on a Rodriguez bad-hop double past Evan Hagen in center, a sacrifice by Steven Shinkwin, and a sacrifice fly by Joe McLoughlin.

Wentzell slugged his 6th home run of the year leading off the 7th, finishing East Bay’s Aaron Anderson (1-0), who was making his first start of the season after 14 relief appearances. Lefty reliever Matthew Vieira walked Ryan Fobert and hit pinch-hitter Marc Mason, and C.R. Braniff sacrificed two pinch-runners to second and third, but Vieira got out of the jam by fanning Tye Tinner and snaring David Peterson’s liner up the middle. He then secured his 2nd save by holding the Bruins to nothing more than a bunt single by Drew Johnson over the next two innings.

Just as he had in the first game, Gilbert lined a solo home run, his 5th, to get the Pioneers going in the 1st inning of the nightcap. The Bruins tied it in the home half on a lead-off walk to Johnson, a stolen base, a ground out, and Peterson’s sacrifice fly to center.

McLoughlin drilled a three-run homer, his 1st, in the top of the 2nd, for a 4-1 lead that would pin the loss on Bruin starter Daniel Grierson (2-1). The Bruins got two of them back in the bottom of the frame as Wentzell singled, Fobert doubled him home, and Tinner singled to score Fobert.

George Fox reliever Gehrig Richins got the first two Pioneers in the 3rd, but then surrendered five consecutive hits. Alex DeAngelis came in and gave up hits to the only two batters he faced, then Nick Hedgecock allowed two hits before getting the inning-ending out. Randall Williams, Gilbert, and Rodriguez each had two-run base hits in the inning.

Lopez and Brandon Sapenter had three hits each to lead a 19-hit East Bay attack as the Pioneers scored the most runs and had the most hits allowed by the Bruins this season. Sapenter slammed a solo home run, his 2nd of the year, in the 5th, and Williams hit his 6th leading off the 7th.

Wentzell hit his 3rd home run of the day and 7th of the season in the 4th, but it was not nearly enough to faze Pioneer hurler Trevor Lewis (2-6), who scattered 8 hits in cruising to the win. He fanned 2 and walked 2.

George Fox, the defending NCAA Division III national champion, fell to 31-12, making its hopes for an at-large bid and 4th straight trip to the national tournament more difficult. California State-East Bay, a West Regional playoff team last year, improved to 19-19-1. The teams conclude their four-game series Sunday with a single game at 1:00 p.m.