OTTAWA — Freshman Brody Bruns delivered a strong pitching performance for the Rochelle Hub varsity baseball team during Wednesday’s Interstate 8 series matchup against Ottawa.

Bruns fired six innings while striking out six batters and holding the Pirates to one earned run on five hits. Despite a solid outing from the freshman left-hander, Rochelle was unable to generate any offense at the dish, recording just three hits in a 4-0 loss to Ottawa. Sophomore Brode Metzger went 2-for-3 to lead the Hubs (5-17, 0-13 Interstate 8), who will attempt to avoid the Interstate 8 Conference sweep with a third and final series game with the Pirates on Thursday.

Ottawa broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning, where Adam Swanson belted an RBI double and Jack Henson smacked an RBI single to spark a three-run frame that put the Pirates ahead 3-0. Ottawa added an insurance run after Lucas Farabaugh singled and scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the fifth inning. Bruns delivered a single in the top of the seventh inning with the Hubs trailing 4-0, but a tagout and a groundout ended the game.