Back at home after being on the road traveling to Lakeview Saturday, to hand two convincing wins to the Honkers in the Saturday afternoon double-header, the 5-7 Glide Wildcats were in Brookings Thursday afternoon to challenge the #4 OSAA ranked Bruins.
Bruin right-hander Austin Dietrich, #13, started on the hill in first game for head coach Keith Wallin, and wasted no time establishing control of the Wildcats offense, keeping Glide off the scoreboard and striking out one. In the Bruins half of the first, the Bruins sent six batters to the plate, scoring 1 to take an early lead.
In the second, Dietrich found his groove, striking out the side in eleven pitches, however, Bruin bats could not capitalize, going down in order themselves, maintaining their 1 run lead.
The Wildcats got their first baserunner in the third after Dietrich walked his first batter, but Dietrich would get another strikeout and retire Glide after 4 batters. It was a different story for the Bruins in third, sending six batters to the plate in the inning, with Kyle Burger, #5, and #22, Ethan Orman, both had hits in the inning to score two.
With Glide now trailing 0-3 going into the fourth inning, Dietrich shut down the Wildcats offense in order once again, and again, the Bruins could not capitalize, going scoreless in the fourth.
In the fifth, the Bruins shut the door after Dietrich hit a batter, giving the Wildcats a baserunner late. But Dietrich and junior first baseman, #22, Ethan Orman, picked off that runner attempting to steal at first, before sitting down the rest of the Wildcat hitters.
Smelling blood in the water, the Bruin offense went to work, sending eleven batters to the plate in the inning, loading the bases and crossing the plate for 7 runs in the bottom half of the 5th, extending the Bruin lead to 10-0, effectively ending the first game.
In the late game of the double-header, the Bruins continued where the left of in the first game as senior right-hander Seth Valleire, #15, took the mound for coach Wallin, striking out one and holding the Wildcats scoreless. The Bruin bats made quick work of the Wildcats in the second game, sending ten batters to plate in the bottom of the first, scoring 5 runs in the inning as the Bruins would control the game from the first pitch and get a two run homer from #5, senior Kyle Burger, in the final inning to take the 12-0 win and the series from Glide.
The Bruins, who will finish in third place out of 10 teams in league play and ranked #4 in the state, will close out regular season play in a Monday afternoon double-header against the Coquille Red Devils, at Bruin field with the first pitch scheduled for 3:00pm.
