By: Ryan Lackey

McMINNVILLE, Ore. --- The Bruins split Saturday's doubleheader with Linfield, winning the opening game 6-1 on the strength of a sparkling outing from Dustin Wells, who threw a complete-game five-hitter. In the second game, a late offensive surge from the Wildcats doomed the Bruins to a 10-5 loss.

Recap:

Game One
Wells was in brilliant form and nearly notched a shutout before giving up a solo homer to Ben Andrews in the ninth. But the Bruins gave him plenty of run support early on: in the first, two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Kadyn Nannini, whose patient walk forced in the first run. Jacob Woehler's sacrifice fly made it 2-0.

Andrew Reichenbach added three more runs in the second with one swing: his towering three-run blast gave Wells a comfortable five-run lead.

The Wildcats were most threatening in the third, when Wells allowed a single and a walk to open the inning; Wells settled down, though, and escaped the jam.

Kadyn Nannini grabbed his second RBI in the fourth, driving in Caylen Clardy on a sacrifice fly.

Andrews's two-out homer in the ninth robbed Wells of a shutout, but Wells still took a deserved victory as the Bruins won, 6-1.

Game Two
Things weren't as smooth for the Bruins in the second game. Starter Alex Jondal was sharp through three innings but grew shaky as the game wore on, giving up a two-run homer to Ryan Pladson in the fourth as Linfield took a 2-0 lead.

But the Bruins battled back in the fifth with three runs on Riley McKean's sacrifice fly, Ansel Webster's groundout, and Gabe Louthan's single.

The Wildcats scored three of their own in the fifth, though—two on a double from Ben Andrews. Zachery Muenster replaced Jondal but fared little better, shipping three more runs to Linfield in the seventh.

The Bruins made a go at a comeback in the eighth. Reichenbach singled in a run, and Clay Mott's sacrifice fly scored another to narrow the score to 8-5. But two more Linfield runs, one on a Scott Hilpert homer, made the final score 10-5 for the Wildcats.

Top Performers:

Game One
Reichenbach's homer broke the game open, and he finished 4-5 with three RBIs and two runs. Clardy was 3-4 with two runs, and AJ Valencia was 2-5 with a run. Wells improved to 7-1 with the decision.

Game Two
Ansel Webster was 2-3 with an RBI. Reichenbach tallied an RBI, as did McKean and Louthan. Kyle Esquerra went 1-3 with a run.

What It Means:
The Bruins stand at 21-14 overall and 14-9 in conference after Saturday's action. They remain in fourth place in a tightly contested NWC race.

What Comes Next:
The Bruins conclude their three-game set, and their regular season, tomorrow at Linfield.