Box Score By: Ryan Lackey
HILLSBORO, Ore. --- Coming off of their 10-0 demolition of Whitman, the Bruins were riding a three-game winning streak entering Monday's game against the Pacific University Boxers, a makeup game originally rained out on Friday. The Bruins, though, were handed a tough 8-7 loss in ten innings.
Recap:
Monday's game was played as originally scheduled at Ron Tonkin Field, home of the minor-league Hillsboro Hops. The Bruins thought they had claimed another early-season win after Andrew Reichenbach's RBI hit-by-pitch in the top of the 10th inning, but Pacific scored twice in the bottom half of the inning to walk-off.
Once again, the Bruins started Monday's game with an offensive statement. In the second, the Bruins hung four runs on Boxer starter Nathan Suyematsu. Singles from Brandon Wileman and Jacob Woehler started the rally, and both scored on an error following Clay Mott's attempted sacrifice bunt. Caylen Clardy singled in Mott, and Gabe Louthan's RBI groundout drove in Clardy.
The Boxers responded immediately: Kurtis Kloke led off the bottom of the second with a solo homer, but Mott's lined single to left in the top of the third reestablished the Bruins's lead, 5-1. In the fifth, the clubs traded runs again: Wohler singled in Wileman in the top half of the inning, and the Boxers came back with an RBI walk to Ben Roquet.
With the score 6-2 going into Pacific's half of the seventh, the Boxers came to life. With Bruin reliever Mikah Takashige on the mound, the Boxers put runners on second and third with two outs. Liam Kent relieved Takashige needing only one out to end the inning, but Kloke walked to load the bases, and Kent hit Joey Galeno with a pitch, forcing in a run. Two singles from Ryan Sohn and Kane Ulrich drove in three more runs. Tyler Hamilton came in to stop the bleeding for the Bruins, but the game was tied at 6-6.
The game remained tied through nine innings, and in the tenth the Bruins pushed across a run, cobbling together a fielder's choice, a walk to AJ Valencia, a bunt single by Gabe Louthan, and a hit-by-pitch to Reichenbach.
In the bottom of the tenth, though, Dylan Wright singled, stole second, went to third on an error, and scored on Walker Olis's single. Then, with two outs, Josh Keithly drove a single into right-center, and the Boxers walked off.
Top Performers:
Despite the close loss, Brandon Wileman and Jacob Woehler both had good days, going 3-5. Wileman scored three runs; Woehler scored and drove in one. Valencia went 2-4.
What It Means:
The Bruins go to Texas on the weekend to conclude their preseason schedule. On the 20th, the Bruins play Pacific to open NWC competition.
What Comes Next:
The Bruins play Emory at Southwestern University on Friday.
