In dramatic fashion, the Bruins started the weekend with a walk-off win over Paine College as Riley Ramsey delivered in the bottom of the 10th scoring Isaiah Brandt and giving the Bruins the 5-4 victory.
"We've been working so hard trying to figure out how to pull out a win, how you keep going and driving, how you get those hits when you need them, and tonight they made it happen," said Head Coach Brent Casteel. "It was pretty awesome coming back like they did. All of a sudden the game is tied, but they pulled it off. I told them that it was a legit win tonight. They did a great job."
After being on the road for a month where the Bruins went 1-8, Coach Casteel said on being back home at Conestee Park, "we're very thankful for the fans that came out tonight. We love to play in front of them, and we enjoyed coming back to our home field and pulling out the win tonight."
Tonight's game would be the first of three games between Bob Jones University and Paine College.
Henry Wallach got the nod as starting pitcher for tonight's game after pitching his second complete game in a win over Toccoa Falls last Friday. As the game got underway, the Paine College Lions would take the 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Paine College doubled their in the third, but they wouldn't be able hold on to that lead for long.
As the Bruins came up to bat in the bottom of the third inning, Zach Burk would single home a run to get the Bruins on the board. With the bases loaded, Daniel Barcena stepped up to the plate looking to even the score. As Barcena singled, Colby Hogan crossed home plate to give the Bruins their second run of the night and bringing the score to 2-2.
The Bruins would pull ahead in the bottom of the fifth with a 3-2 lead. In the bottom of the seventh, Zach Burk would score to increase the lead for the home team. The Lions rallied back in the top of the eighth as a hit by Latek McNeil would send two runners home bringing the score to 4 runs apiece.
After pitching nine innings, Henry Wallach, who finished with 10 strikeouts, would go to the dugout as Daniel Williams would take his place at the mound as the game went into extra innings.
With a Lions runner at third base at the top of the 10th, the Bruins would have to be careful to not allow another run scored. But Williams would take care of business to strike out the Lions. As Isaiah Brandt came up to bat for the Bruins, he would hit a fair ball up the third base line. After an error by the Lions, Brandt ran past second to make it to third putting the Bruins in scoring position. The Bruins needed just one run to win the game, and after Colby Hogan struck out swinging, the home team looked to sophomore Riley Ramsey to deliver. Ramsey hit the ball up the middle allowing Brandt to score as the Bruins walked it off for the 5-4 home victory.
The Bruins are back at home tomorrow for a doubleheader against Paine College beginning at 12:30 p.m.
"We're looking forward to tomorrow's games. I told the guys to come and take it right where they left off tonight, and not to expect anything, just come and make it happen," said Coach Casteel.
