Thanks to a 10-run eighth inning, the University of Redlands baseball team came from behind to defeat the Sagehens of Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Friday afternoon, 14-8. In the opening game of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Postseason Tournament, the Bulldogs received at least one hit from nine different players in the lineup en route to the exciting victory.
Freshman third baseman Mark Tumlinson (Topeka, KS) got things started for the Maroon and Gray by leading off the game with a single to the left side. He came around to score later in the inning when junior center fielder Alex Scheiwe (Encinitas, CA) laced an RBI-single to center field.
The Bulldogs held that one-run lead until Pomona-Pitzer tallied four runs in the third frame and then one in the fourth to nab a 5-1 advantage.
The U of R pulled two runs back in the sixth via sophomore right-fielder Nathaniel Acosta's (Chino Hills, CA) two-run homerun over the left-field foul pole. The Bulldogs chipped away at the deficit with another score in the seventh inning.
Then, the exciting and influential eighth frame came for Redlands.
Acosta led off the inning with a double to left-center field and scored to tie the game when junior left-fielder Max Hardman (Encinitas, CA) blasted an RBI-double down the left-field line. A couple of batters later, the U of R took the lead when Tumlinson executed the perfect squeeze play, scoring freshman pinch runner Nathan Bowker (Edmond, OK) from third base. Hardman also came in to score on the play due to an error by the Pomona-Pitzer third baseman.
The floodgates then opened up for Redlands as everyone joined in the hit parade. Senior second baseman Jason Henning (Redlands, CA) registered an RBI-single through the right side, before Acosta was back up at the plate, knocking an RBI-single to center field. Bulldog senior first baseman Eliot Smith (West Linn, OR) eventually capped off the monumental inning with a three-run blast over the right field fence, resulting in Redlands' 14-5 lead.
The Sagehens pulled two runs back in the bottom half of the eighth and then one in the ninth, but that was all they would muster as the Maroon and Gray took care of business for the emphatic six-run triumph.
Hardman led the way at the plate for the Bulldogs, going 4-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored, while Acosta went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a team-best three runs scored. Additionally, Scheiwe provided a three-hit performance and sophomore shortstop Jordan Dresner (Etiwanda, CA) and Tumlinson both chipped in with two hits apiece.
Bulldog senior pitcher Kyle Hart (Burbank, CA) earned the win for Redlands, going 7.1 innings on the mound while allowing 11 hits and seven runs, only four of which were earned.
Redlands (22-16) travels to Cal Lutheran University tomorrow to take on the No. 8 Kingsmen, who defeated Occidental College on Friday, 4-3. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. between Redlands and Cal Lutheran, with the Bulldogs playing as the home team. For a complete listing of the SCIAC Postseason Tournament schedule and up-to-date tournament information, please visit the Championship Central page.