The University of Redlands baseball team took two of three from the Whittier College Poets over the weekend, winning game one on Friday, 11-5, losing the opener on Saturday, 2-3, and then capturing the rubber-match victory in the nightcap on Saturday, 15-1.  Solid pitching all weekend long accompanied by explosive hitting led to the important series victory for the Bulldogs.

In the series opener at Whittier on Friday afternoon, the Bulldogs fell behind 0-1 after the second inning.  Redlands got on the board in the fourth frame, however, scoring two runs to take the lead.  Sophomore shortstop Jordan Dresner (Etiwanda, CA) got things started with a single, and then with two outs, junior center-fielder Alex Scheiwe (Encinitas, CA) hit a single to the left side to keep the two-out rally alive.  Sophomore first baseman Sean McMillan (Redwood City, CA) followed that up with a clutch two-out base-knock into right-center field, scoring both runners.

After the Poets tied things up in the bottom half of the frame, the Maroon and Gray erupted for a four-spot in the top half of the fifth.  Senior second baseman Jason Henning (Redlands, CA), and Scheiwe both registered RBI singles while McMillan ripped another two-RBI base-hit into right field to cap off the huge four-run inning.

While the Poets kept it close by recording three scores in the bottom half of the fifth, the U of R bats refused to cool down.  The Bulldogs tacked on two more in the seventh and three insurance runs in the ninth, highlighted by sophomore right-fielder Nathaniel Acosta's (Chino Hills, CA) leadoff homerun, to secure the six-run triumph.

At the dish, McMillan led the way with four RBI, while Dresner tallied a team-best three hits.

Senior pitcher Eliot Smith (West Linn, OR) went six innings on the hill for the Maroon and Gray, scattering nine hits and allowing five runs, earning him his team-leading fourth win of the season.  Sophomore pitcher Josh Makler (Portland, OR) came in to relieve Smith, and Makler threw three innings of one-hit baseball, shutting down the Poet bats and allowing no runs.

In the opener of the doubleheader at The Yard on Saturday, Redlands scored a run in each of the first two innings to grab an early 2-0 advantage.  It stayed that way until the top of the eighth frame when the Poets took advantage of an error and recorded three timely hits, scoring the three decisive runs.  The Bulldogs could not muster a comeback in either of the last two innings, resulting in the tough one-run defeat.

Bulldog senior pitcher Kyle Hart (Burbank, CA) threw a solid game for the Maroon and Gray, allowing just five hits and three runs while striking out six Poet batters.

The rubber match of the three-game series with Whittier saw Redlands score at least one run in every inning en route to the 14-run margin of victory. 

After scoring two in the first frame and one run in the second and third innings, the Bulldogs put the game well out of reach in the fourth by tacking on four more scores.  The big hit of the inning came when Scheiwe belted a two-RBI triple into right-center field, scoring Henning and Dresner. 

Two more runs in the bottom of the fifth set Redlands up for a huge sixth inning in which it racked up five more runs.  Everyone got in on the hit parade, and freshman third baseman Mark Tumlinson ripped an RBI-single, his third base-knock of the game.  Scheiwe added another two-RBI hit later in the inning, adding to his impressive 4-for-4 performance at the plate with six RBI and two runs scored.

After Whittier could not score in the top half of the seventh, the game was over, and the series victory was secured for the U of R.  Freshman pitcher John Keane (Clayton, CA) hurled six strong innings from the mound for the Bulldogs, allowing a mere four hits and just one run.

McMillan provided another solid effort at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBI while four other Bulldogs registered two-hit performances in the big win.

The 15 runs and 19 hits recorded as a team were season-highs for Redlands in both categories.

The Bulldogs (11-10, 8-7 SCIAC) return to action on Tuesday when they host Rutgers University-Newark (NJ).  First pitch at The Yard is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.