After a disappointing loss Friday evening in a 10-inning battle, the Bruins and Lions were back at Conestee Park today for a doubleheader. Joshua Legnard pitched another complete game as the Bruins cruised to a 6-1 win. In game two, Mackenzie Ritter got the nod to start, but the Lions bats were too much for the Bruins pitching staff as they fell 9-5.
"Game one went our way today," began Head Coach Brent Casteel. "Our pitching, defense, and offense were firing on all cylinders. Great effort by the entire team. Game two we just couldn't hold them down."
It was a great day at the park for baseball with minimal clouds and a bright sunny day. Joshua Legnard pitched another phenomenal outing with 11 strikeouts while allowing only three hits and one run to score. On the basepaths, the Bruins finished with nine hits scoring six runs.
It was a quick first inning to start the day with only one runner to reach base for either team when the Lions managed a walk with their second at-bat. At the top of the second, Legnard struck out two more batter before a single and walk would get two men on. A flyout would end the scoring threat and allow the Bruins to get on the board first as Pablo Austin reached first from a walk and Cody Kirkpatrick hit a bomb to the left field for a two-run home run.
The score remained 2-0 in favor of the Bruins until the bottom of the fifth when Riley Ramsey started a two-out rally with a single. Four more singles for the Bruins would score and an additional three runs to go up 5-0. The Lions and Bruins would each score a run in the sixth, so the Bruins were able to keep their five-run lead while needing three outs to record the win. With Legnard back on the mound, a popout to second, and strikeout, and a groundout to short would send the game into the win column for the Bruins.
Mackenzie Ritter started game two for the Bruins with a strong first inning with each of the three batters flying out or grounding out. Riley Ramsey got the Bruins on the basepaths early as he drew the walk. Evan Walker followed him with a single to advance Ramsey to third. Conley Burk batted into a fielder's choice advancing Ramsey to home, but Walker would get called out at second. A double play would end the inning, but not before the Bruins were able to take the early 1-0 lead.
Ritter started the second inning with a couple of outs before walking two in a row. Before the Lions could capitalize, he struck out the batter leaving the two batters he walked stranded. The Bruins wasted no time getting batter back on the basepaths. Pablo Austin reached base by being hit and then Sam Gonzalez singled after a flyout from Stinson Draper. Chad Bayne was hit by a pitch which loaded the bases. A couple of wild pitches would advance the runners and two more runs would score to stretch the lead to 3-0. Ramsey was walked again, but a strikeout would leave two Bruins stranded.
The Lions clawed back into the game, scoring three runs in the top of the third which ended Ritter's day on the mound. A couple of singles in the bottom of the inning threatened to retake the lead, but couldn't find themselves around all four bases for the Bruins. In the top fourth, the Lions once again threatened to score, but they kept them at bay leaving two on base. In the bottom of the inning, Chad Bayne took another hit by pitch to get on base and then Isaiah Brandt hit a high ball into foul territory, but the first baseman was there for the out. With a runner on, Riley Ramsey hit a bomb the opposite way to break the tie 5-3.
Refusing to go down easy, the Lions kept themselves in the game by scoring three more runs in the top of the fifth to claim the lead 6-5. The Bruin's bats went cold and couldn't get anything going in each of the remaining innings. With the Lions still leading 6-5, the poured on another three runs in the top of the seventh to extend their lead 9-5. With the doubleheader being split, the Bruins record climbed to 6-19 on the year.
Up next, the Bruins are headed to Brevard College on Tuesday for the second to last away game of the season. The Bruins and Tornados will play Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. from Brevard, North Carolina. For more Bruins content, be sure to check out
BJUbruins.com.
 Â
Â
