Head coach Keith Wallin, and his 12-4 Bruin varsity baseball team were home Monday hosting the 4-11 Coquille Red Devils in an afternoon double-header to close out regular season play.
The Bruins, looking to finish regular season play on a 9 game winning streak would need to win both games of the double-header, and came out determined to wrestle control of the game from the visiting Red Devils from the first pitch. Junior pitcher Austin Dietrich took the mound for the Bruins and set the pace early, sitting down the first three batters he faced.
Coach Wallin’s offensive game plan was apparent during the Bruins first at bat in the first inning, using smallball to attack the Red Devil defense. The Bruins lead-off hitter worked his way on base with a walk, stole second and worked his way to score the first run of the game off a sacrifice fly ball from Spencer Rosenberg.
Dietrich dominated Coquille batters, not allowing the Red Devils a baserunner through four innings while striking out six. As the game continued, the Bruin bats struggled to get the ball in play consistently. Again Bruins lead-off, sophomore Talan Pryor, worked his way back to the basepaths with another walk, and again worked his way around the basepaths to score again off of a Spencer Rosenberg sacrifice fly.
It wouldn’t be until the sixth inning that the Red Devils would get their first baserunner, but the solid Bruin defense would force Coquille to leave the runner stranded after stealing second base. The Bruin bats would come alive in the sixth, working runners into scoring position with sacrifice fly’s and timely bunts to score two more runs in the bottom of the sixth, to take the win after shutting the Red Devils down in the top of the seventh.
In the second game of the the double-header, senior Kyle Burger took the mound for the Bruins, striking out the first seven batters he saw, before allowing Coquille their first baserunner in the third. Burger would go on to strike out 15 batters while allowing no walks and only three hits as the Bruins would go on to shut-out the Red Devils twice Monday afternoon.
The now 14-4 Bruins will move into post-season play, scheduled to begin later in the week.
