The Bruin girls varsity softball team has started their regular season play on the right foot, holding on to get the win against the Sutherlin Lady Bulldogs Monday afternoon, to sweep the series and put the Bruin girls on a three game win streak to start the 2022 season.
After defeating the Lady Bulldogs in consecutive games in Friday’s double header in Sutherlin, 9-7 and 10-6 respectively, Sutherlin traveled to Brookings Monday afternoon looking to get a win to end the series. Senior right handed pitcher Maddy Taylor, #22, was in the circle for coach Baron, and after walking the first batter Taylor sat the next three batters she faced down in order to end the Bulldogs half of the first inning.
The Bruin girls started out quick in the bottom of the first, getting their first runs off of small ball, a walk, a wild pitch, a single, and a Sutherland fielding error added up to 3 first inning runs for the Bruin girls.
Leading 3-0 to start the second inning, Sutherland answered, catching up to Taylor pitches with two consecutive singles leading to a run from a fielders choice infield grounder making the score 3-1 Bruins. The Bruin girls would get two on in the bottom half of the inning off a hit and a walk, but fail to score in the inning.
Sutherlin wasted no time in the top of the third, getting a runner on base from a single, and forcing 3 Bruin girls errors in the inning to advance runners and score 3 runs, leaving the Bruin girls trailing 3-4. The Bruin girl offense answered with more small ball, a single, a walk followed by a Kami Koepnick double up the middle to score Charlie Nolte, #12 and tie the game 4-4 going into the 4th.
The Lady Bulldogs would scrape together another run in the top of the 4th, off of a walk, a single and another Bruins error to take a 4-5 lead after the Bruin girls failed to score in their half of the 4th inning.
In the top of the fifth, the Lady Bulldogs got their lead-off batter on base, before Taylor would give up a two run homerun over the centerfield wall, putting Sutherlin up by three. The Bruin girls offense went to work, putting together three walks, a single and a Hannah James triple to clear the bases and take a 9-7 lead after 5 innings of play.
Sutherlin would manage another run in the top of the sixth, but that would be as close as it would get, as Maddy Taylor took control and retired the next 6 batters she faced to end the game 9-8 Bruins, and sweep the series.
The Bruin girls will be back at home Wednesday, hosting the Douglas Lady Trojans at 4:00pm, before heading on the road to Douglas for a double-header Friday to finish the series.
