SPOKANE, Wash. - After visiting George Fox pounded its way to a 12-4 win in the Northwest Conference series opener against Whitworth, a pair of Pirate pitchers managed to slow down the formidable Bruin bats enough in the second game for a 9-4 Whitworth win, splitting the baseball double header at Merkel Field.

The loss was the first of the year for George Fox (14-1, 7-1 NWC), which saw its school record season opening winning streak come to an end. The Bruins came within a game of tying their all-time winning streak of 15 games.

Tampien hit two home runs for the Pirates

First baseman Joel Tampien led Whitworth (6-11, 4-4 NWC) by hitting a pair of home runs, including a pivotal grand slam in the second contest. He finished the day with seven runs batted in.

Game 1: George Fox 12, Whitworth 4 - box score
A potential pitchers' dual between two-time NWC pitcher of the week Ryan Snell of Whitworth and undefeated Nick Bratney of George Fox never materialized. Bratney threw a complete game to improve to 5-0, while Snell (3-2) gave up a two-run home run in the first inning on his way to allowing nine runs (eight earned) in 5.2 innings against a Bruin team that came in with a team batting average above .370.

After Dan Wentzell gave GFU its 2-0 lead in the first, the Bruins added two more in the third when two singles and an error allowed one run and another came home on Matt Wyckoff's sacrifice fly.

The Bruins broke the game open with five runs in the top of the sixth inning. Wyckoff led off with a home run. Later, with two out and the bases loaded, Bo Thunell doubled to deep center, driving in three more runs. Wentzell followed with an RBI single for a 9-0 George Fox lead.

Bryan Donohue singled home two more runs in the seventh, and Ryan Fobert added an RBI single in the eighth for a 12-0 GFU lead.

Whitworth managed four unearned runs in the ninth inning. With two out an one on, Alex Scarpelli reached on an error, followed by an RBI single from Dan Ramsey. Tampien then homered to left field.

Bratney allowed seven hits and no earned runs in his complete game. He struck out two and walked one.

Zimmerman earned his third win of the season

Game 2: Whitworth 9, George Fox 4 - box score
The Pirates jumped ahead early in the second game when Dan Ramsey's two-RBI double brought home a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Whitworth gained its first earned run against Bruin starter Chris Albrecht in the second on Jon Whiteside's RBI single. Meanwhile Whitworth starter Brandon Zimmerman would allow only one run on six hits through the first five before tiring.

Donohue's sacrifice fly in the third brought GFU back within 3-1, but Whitworth got that run back in the fourth on Nate Rodland's ground out that scored Tampien.

Then Tampien gave Whitworth the breathing room the Pirate would need in the fifth. With two out an runners on second and third, GFU reliever Jeff Wheeler intentionally walked Dan Ramsey to face Tampien. Tampien drove his home run out to left center for an 8-1 Whitworth lead.

In the top of the sixth, Fobert doubled home a run and then scored after an error at second base to pull the Bruins within 8-3. Whitworth went up 9-3 when Ryne Webb doubled home Rodland in the bottom of the inning.

George Fox rallied again in the seventh against Zimmerman. Thunell led off with a home run. Then the Bruins loaded the bases with no one out. But Chad Flett came on to relieve Zimmerman and he struck out Fobert, Josh Burch and Pat Bailey in a row to end the inning. Flett worked the next two innings to pick up his first save of the season.

Zimmerman went 6 innings, allowing four runs (three earned), to 3-2 this season, while Albrecht allowed six runs (four earned) in 4.1 innings to fall to 4-1.

Whitworth and George Fox will complete the three game series on Sunday at noon.