By: Ryan Lackey

TACOMA, Wash. --- The Bruins suffered an inauspicious beginning to their playoff run, losing their opening game to Pacific Lutheran, 16-4. With the loss, the Bruins remain alive, but just barely: they will play the loser of the Whitworth/Linfield game on Saturday, a chance to reestablish a foothold in the tournament.

Jake Thran drove in two of the Bruins' runs, the other two provided by Ansel Webster. Andrew Reichenbach scored twice despite not recording a hit. Leadoff batter AJ Valencia did well to set the table, going 1-2 and drawing two walks.

Starter Ian Buckles took the loss, going almost six innings and allowing nine runs on twelve hits.

George Fox took a lead in the first inning. After Valencia started off with an infield single, Reichenbach waited out one of his two walks. Both runners advanced on a passed ball, and Jake Thran snuck a single through the left side to score two and give the Bruins an early 2-0 lead.

The Lutes came back with four runs in the fourth, two coming on Jacob Clements's single, but the Bruins remained steadfast. With one out in the fifth, Riley McKean singled and went around to third on some poor glove work by Pacific Lutheran. Reichenbach walked again, and Ansel Webster struck a ringing double into the left-center gap to even the game at 4-4.

From there, though, Pacific Lutheran rolled, pushing across four in the sixth and seventh, before adding two more in the eighth to seal a blowout 16-4 victory.

George Fox remains alive and awaits the loser of the Linfield/Whitworth game.