The University of Redlands baseball team started its 2013 campaign on the right note, defeating the Comets of the University of Texas at Dallas at the Arizona Desert Classic, 2-1.  With the victory, the Bulldogs have now won four-consecutive season-openers.

During the first contest of a four-game road trip in Arizona, the Bulldogs erupted in the bottom half of the second, scoring the all-important two runs.  Sophomore first baseman Sean McMillan (Redwood City, CA) led off the inning with a double to left field.  Two batters later, junior left-fielder Max Hardman (Encinitas, CA) laced a triple to right field, scoring McMillan on the play.  Hardman then crossed the plate when freshman catcher Christian Heideger (Shoreline, WA) ripped an RBI-single to the shortstop. 

UT Dallas cut the deficit in half in the top of the fifth inning when Comet left-fielder Daniel Saxon hit a sacrifice fly, scoring third baseman Alex Luna.  With the bases loaded, Redlands senior pitcher Eliot Smith (West Linn, OR) closed the door and got out of the jam, allowing just the one run.

Smith, in fact, was phenomenal all game long.  He pitched seven innings while distributing just three hits and the one earned run. He fanned eight in the season debut.

U of R freshman pitcher John Keane (Clayton, CA) closed the door on the mound, throwing a flawless final two innings for his first-career save.

Redlands (1-0) takes on Linfield College (OR) tomorrow afternoon in its second game of the Arizona Desert Classic.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. MST.