The clock struck midnight on the Bruins' Cinderella story as the #2 seeded Kansas Christian College Falcons rallied from an 8-1 deficit to edge the Bruins 11-10 on Wednesday afternoon in Springdale, Arkansas. With the loss, the Bruins have been eliminated from the regional tournament.
"We had a great run," Bruins Head Coach Brent Casteel said. "We came in as the lowest seed and still got two wins. I'm really proud of our guys for the season overall and thankful we got to experience the postseason."
The Bruins came into the tournament as the #7 seed, but the team upset #2 Kansas Christian College in the opening round 11-0. The Bruins then fell short to #3 Champion Christian 10-4, giving them their first loss in the double elimination tournament. The Bruins kept their championship hopes alive on Tuesday as the team edged #4 Southeastern Baptist 6-5, setting up a rematch against #2 Kansas Christian.
After falling to BJU on the opening day of the tournament, the Falcons came back with wins over Randall University and Dallas Christian College to advance to face the Bruins. The winner would move on and the loser would go home as both teams took the field.
The Bruins took an early lead as Daniel Barcena singled home a run before Riley Ramsey scored on a pass ball to make it 2-0. The Falcons came right back as an infield single scored a runner to make it 2-1.
In the top of the 2nd, the Bruins came out strong as the team scored five runs in the inning thanks to hits from Bryson French and Daniel Barcena and errors by the Falcons. As a result, the Bruins pushed their lead to 7-1. Isaiah Brandt then added to the lead as his fielder's choice scored Adrian Lasval to push the lead to 8-1.
It looked as though the Bruins were beginning to run away with the game as they did the first time the two teams played. With their hopes slipping away, the Falcons responded by slowly chipping away at the Bruin lead.
KCC got one back in the 4th before scoring a pair of runs in the 5th to trail 8-4. Daniel Barcena came in to pitch in relief for starter Ethan Rogers but the Falcons continued to keep innings alive and claw their way back into the game.
In the 6th, Chris Hunter hit a three-run homerun to help the Falcons battle all the way back and take a 10-8 lead thanks to six runs scored in the inning. Heading into the 7th inning, the Bruins were just three outs away from being eliminated.
The team then got a spark as Daniel Barcena walked and Rommel Acosta blasted a game-tying two-run homerun to even the score 10-10. The Bruins had other chances to take the lead, but the team went to the bottom of the 7th tied 10-10.
In the bottom of the 7th, Chris Hunter singled to get a runner aboard. On the next pitch, a ground ball gave opportunity for a double play but an error allowed the Falcons to get two runners on. Stay'Jawn Hunter then proved to be the hero for the Falcons as the junior drove home the winning run to complete the comeback 11-10.
"We have learned a lot this year," Coach Casteel said. "We'll always remember this first season and the lessons we learned. We're already looking forward to next year!"
With the loss, the Bruins end their inaugural season at 8-26 overall. The team battled through a tough schedule this season filled with many memorable moments. Although the program will graduate several seniors from this year's team, the Bruins have a core group of returners signaling a bright future for the program for years to come.
