BRUINS END REGULAR SEASON WITH SIX WINS; TAKE ON BROKEN ARROW IN REGIONALS ON WEDNESDAY
Bartlesville High School’s Sam Hill (3) slides home safely in last Friday’s home game against Booker T. Washington last Friday. The Bruins take on Broken Arrow at Edmond Deer Creek Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in regional play.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Becky Burch
May 5, 2026
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
The Bartlesville Bruins (25-15) have won their last six games, including a sweep of Putnam City North and shutting out Collinsville. They play in regionals at Edmond Deer Creek starting Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. against Broken Arrow (20-9). Fans are encouraged to check with the team or school for the latest information, as dates and times are subject to change.
Following are recent game reports:
_____
Bartlesville 6, Booker T. Washington 1
The Bruins closed out their regular-season home schedule with a 6-1 victory over the Booker T. Washington Hornets last Friday, using a late-inning surge and aggressive baserunning to pull away.
The Hornets struck first in the top of the second inning, but the Bruins' bats responded in the middle frames, scoring three unanswered runs across the fourth and fifth to take a 3-1 lead.
The Bruins broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth. Bryce Luelf led off with a walk and immediately pressured the defense, stealing second and third base. He crossed the plate on a passed ball to extend the lead. After Brandon Neill walked, pinch-runner Liam Buchanan stole second on an errant pick-off attempt and scored on an RBI single by Gavin Thomas. Thomas then stole second and scored on a sacrifice fly by Sam Marcella to cap the three-run inning.
In total, the Bruins racked up eight stolen bases. Luelf and Thomas led the effort with two each, while Buchanan, Marcella, Sam Hill, and Hudson Baker each swiped one. Neill added a double and Hill recorded a triple to pace the extra-base hits.
On the mound, a trio of pitchers kept the Hornets in check. Hill threw four innings, allowing only one hit and one earned run while striking out two. Marcella handled the final frame, striking out two to seal the win. Kanin Romesburg also saw action in the three-pitcher effort.
_____
Bartlesville 7, Claremore 1
The Bruins cruised to a 7-1 road victory over Claremore on April 23, powered by a dominant five-run outburst in the fifth inning and a masterful complete-game performance from Cooper Swaim.
Bartlesville jumped out to an early lead when they plated a run in the top of the second. However, the game truly broke open in the fifth during a relentless rally. Luelf, Hill, and Marcella each credited an RBI through a sacrifice bunt, a walk, and a groundout, respectively, setting the stage for Luke Massey’s two-RBI single to cap the scoring surge.
Claremore managed to scratch across their lone run in the bottom of the fifth, but they could never solve Swaim. The Bruins added an insurance run in the seventh to finalize the scoring.
Swaim was solid on the mound, pitching all seven innings while surrendering just four hits and one earned run. Most impressively, he didn't issue a single walk and fanned three batters to secure the win.
_______
Bartlesville High School’s third baseman Bryce Lueulf (1) fields a fair ball during the Bruins 6-1 win over Booker T. Washington last Friday. The Bruins take on Broken Arrow at Edmond Deer Creek Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in regional play.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
_______
Bartlesville 11, Putnam City North
Bartlesville swept the two-game series against Putnam City North in mirror-image fashion, winning 11-3 on the road last Monday and matching that 11-3 score at home the following night.
In the Monday opener, the Bruins set the tone early with a three-run first inning, building a 5-2 lead through four frames. The offensive spark came from Hill, who laced a triple to right field to drive home Thomas.
Bartlesville broke the game open late, plating six insurance runs across the sixth and seventh innings.
The Bruins' bats were led by Marcella and Baker, who each notched a pair of doubles. On the basepaths, Bartlesville was relentless; Brett Merciez swiped three bags, while Marcella, Romesburg, Luelf, Hill, and Thomas all added stolen bases to the tally.
D.J. Mba-Thornton earned the complete-game win. Over seven innings of work, he surrendered seven hits but allowed zero earned runs while racking up five strikeouts.
_____
Bartlesville 11, PC North 3
The series shifted to Bill Doenges Memorial Stadium, where the Bruins completed the sweep with a carbon-copy 11-3 victory.
Although Putnam City North struck first with a run in the opening frame, Bartlesville answered immediately with three runs of their own to seize control.
Leading 5-2 after three innings, the Bruins' bats ignited for a six-run surge over the final frames. Hill was the catalyst of the 10-hit attack, turning in a stellar 3-for-4 performance with three runs scored and four RBIs. Massey and Thomas remained productive with two hits and an RBI apiece, while Romesburg added a pair of hits and two RBIs to the lopsided total.
On the mound, Baker navigated through 11 hits to go the distance, tossing a seven-inning complete game. He allowed just three earned runs and fanned four batters, and with a strong defense behind him, he never allowed the PC North offense to mount a significant threat.
_____
Other games
The Bruins secured back-to-back victories late in April, shutting out Collinsville 5-0 on the road on April 23 before defeating Coweta 11-3 at home on April 24.
Bartlesville High School’s Jaxon Hyde (15) rounds third base during the Bruins’ 6-1 win over Booker T. Washington last Friday. The Bruins take on Broken Arrow at Edmond Deer Creek Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in regional play.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports