The Bruins baseball team traveled to Greensboro, North Carolina for a three-game series against the Guilford College Quakers this weekend. In game one, the Bruins played a solid performance at the plate producing 12 hits, but fell short of getting runners all the way around the bases as they stranded nine. The Quakers took game one of the series 12-2 after a seven-inning game Friday afternoon.
As the game got underway, Riley Ramsey batted leadoff for the Bruins, but the top of the first inning ended with a series of three groundouts. Starting on the mound for the Bruins was number 30, Joshua Legnard. Guilford proved to be a difficult team as they wasted no time getting runners on base. Their first three batters all singled, which gave them the early 1-0 lead. A groundout would advance to the runners and score another. A wild pitch allowed the runner to move up to third and a sac fly would put the Quakers up 3-0. Before anymore damage could be done, a pop out to the shortstop would end the inning.
In response to being down early, the Bruins four hitter singled and then was batted in off a triple from Matthew Wells to cut the lead down to 3-1. Unfortunately, Wells would be left stranded on base as the Bruins couldn't get anything going to get him home. Legnard had a strong bottom of the second as he struck out the next three batters he faced.
In the top of the third, three more Bruins would single to load the bases with one out, but the Quakers strong pitching left them on base. In the bottom of the third, the Quakers found two more runs to extend their lead to 5-1.
The Bruins struggled at the plate in the fourth inning as they went three up and three down. At this point, the Bruins made a pitching change putting in sophomore pitcher Ryan Pierce. In the bottom of the fourth, Pierce gave up several hits and walk which lead to the Quakers extending the score even further 8-1.
Two more hits and hit by pitch loaded the bases again for the Bruins, but Quakers pitching got the best of the Bruins again leaving all three runners stranded on base. The Quakers managed a couple more hits in the fifth, but a flyout to the center and double play kept the Quakers off the board.
The Bruins started the sixth with two outs before Chad Bayne singled down the right field line. He then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Another single from the Bruins got Bayne to third. With runners at the corners, Riley Ramsey doubled to center field scoring Bayne from third. Isaiah Brandt, the other runner, tried to push for home to score another run for the Bruins, but was called out at the plate and the inning ended with the Bruins scoring another to cut the lead down to 8-2. Making sure they kept their lead, the Quakers put up a couple more hits and tacked on another run from a sac fly. The game would go into the seventh inning with the Quakers leading 9-2.
Bart Walker and Angelo Gomez both singled to get the seventh inning started, but three straight out would leave the runners at the corners. The Quakers started their seventh with two singles followed by a pair of walks which scored a run to give them a 10-2 lead. After the run was scored, their centerfielder hit a single into leftfield, scoring two more runs and ending the game 12-2.
"Only three walks produced by our pitching staff, one error by our defense, and 12 hits by our offense. That looks like a decent night, but we still lost because we have to learn to finish," said Head Coach Brent Casteel. "This team has the determination to make it happen."
The Bruins will be back at it against the Quakers Saturday at 12 and 3 p.m. You can watch them live
here or follow along with the live stats
here.
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