With the regular season now behind them, the post-season bound Bruins hosted the post-season bound Gold Beach Panthers fulfilling their Hwy. 101 rivalry Thursday afternoon, tuning up for their first round play-off games scheduled to begin next week.
With both teams using the game-time to brush up on the basics and try new approaches in this non-league match-up, an eager Gold Beach offense stepped into the batters box in the top of the first, and promptly loaded the bases against Bruin right-hander, #5, Kyle Burger. However, after the Panthers loaded the bases, Burger would pitch his way out of the situation, and then help himself as the pitcher, hitting in the Bruins only run in the first.
Both teams would go scoreless in the second, and Burger would go on to keep Panther runners off the basepaths in the first half of the third. But in the bottom of the third, the Bruin offense would break through, putting 4 runs on the board to take a 5-0 lead after loading the bases and three singles sent runner across the plate.
Bruin pitching continued to keep Panther base runners off the basepaths into the fourth inning, as Bruin bats would push another runner across the plate to extend their lead to 6-0 after four innings.
The Panthers would get runners on base in the fifth and sixth innings, but fail to move them across the plate. The Bruins offense however would score again in the bottom of the sixth. Bruin left-hander, #22, Ethan Orman would relieve Burger for the Bruins, and continue to hold the Panthers scoreless going into the final innings of the game.
The Bruins offense however would score again in the bottom of the sixth, adding 3 more runs to take the 9-0 win.
Both teams will be active in first round action next week with the Panthers scheduled to host the 10-2 Weston-McEwen/Griswold Baseball Program Monday, and the Bruins hosting a team yet to be determined next Wednesday.
