By: Ryan Lackey

McMINNVILLE, Ore. --- Seven runs, two driven in by Andrew Reichenbach, weren't enough for the Bruins on Sunday afternoon, as they dropped their regular-season finale to Linfield, 16-7.

Recap:
The Wildcats hit three home runs as they tallied their 16 runs, even though the Bruins seemed set to run away with the game in the top of the first. Caylen Clardy walked, Reichenbach singled, and Kyle Esquerra singled in Clardy. Kadyn Nannini's long double brought in another run, and Connor Newell's single drove in two more: 4-0, Bruins.

From there, though, Linfield was dominant. They took the lead with a five-run third, capped by Ryan Ross's two-RBI single. Things got worse for the Bruins in the fourth, when Linfield scored four more, two on Eric Lawson's home run.

Down 9-4, the Bruins made a game of it, scoring twice in the fifth when Reichenbach pulverized a double down the right field line. Then, Gabe Louthan's RBI triple in the sixth narrowed the score to 9-7.

But the Wildcats put all hopes of a Bruin comeback to bed in the seventh, piling on six more runs, including a Scott Hilpert three-run blast. Ben Andrews added a solo shot in the eighth to make the final 15-7.

Top Performers:
Reichenbach was 2-4 with two RBIs. Newell also had two RBIs as part of his 1-4 day.

What It Means:
The Bruins conclude their NWC schedule with a 21-15 overall record and a 14-10 mark in conference.

What Comes Next:
With the #3 spot in the NWC secured, the Bruins look forward to next week's Northwest Conference Tournament hosted by Whitworth on April 22-24.