Bruins' Season Closes with 8-4 Loss in Region 18 Championship

Colton Yack, Sports Information Director

-FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-

Baseball:

Late runs too much for a Bruin comeback

SALT LAKE CITY – In a back and forth game, a four run seventh inning for WNC proved to be too much as the Bruins close the season as the Region 18 runner-up with an 8-4 defeat.

Robert Grilli (Mississauga, Ontario, CAN) got things started with a first inning leadoff walk but was later nullified after getting picked off by WNC starter Rayne Raven. Colton Barkdull (Erda, UT) then reached on an error by the third baseman but a fly out and ground out ended the inning and the Bruin threat.

In the bottom of the first, two WNC doubles and an error by SLCC put the Bruins in a 2-0 hole.

The Bruins responded with two runs in the fourth inning to get back in the game. Grilli drew another walk with one out. Going first to third on a Colton Barkdull (Erda, UT) single, Zach Watts (West Jordan, UT) knocked Grilli in with a single to left putting the score 2-1. With Barkdull on third, Watts advanced to second on a Jared White (Riverton, UT) walk to load the bases. Derrick Whitney (South Jordan, UT) forced another walk to plate Barkdull and tie the game 2-2.

WNC regained the lead in the fourth with yet another double and an RBI single to put WNC ahead 3-2.

The scoring continued in the seventh inning for both teams. Barkdull was nearly robbed of a double to left center on a miraculous diving catch by the WNC center fielder. However, when he hit the ground, the ball squirted out of his glove allowing Barkdull to reach second. The next batter, Watts lined a pitch to center scoring Barkdull and pulling the score even at 3-3.

In WNC's half of the inning, two home runs including a grand slam down the right field line gave the Wildcats an 8-3 cushion.

SLCC added a run in the eighth when Nick Urban (Las Vegas, NV) hit a two out single up the middle and later stole second. With Caleb Summerhays (Las Vegas, NV) coming up, he hit a slow bounding ground ball to third base and forced an overthrow allowing Urban to score from second on the error and cut the score to 8-4.

The Bruins had one last chance heading to the top of the ninth. Grilli reached again in a leadoff role this time by an error. However, three straight SLCC hitters failed to reach base and sealed the 8-4 win for WNC and the Region 18 championship, securing a bid to the District Tournament.