The University of Redlands baseball team continued Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action on Saturday by completing a three-game series against the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges Stags under windy conditions at The Yard. After earning a thrilling, come-from-behind victory on Friday, the Bulldogs banged out 25 runs over the course of 16 innings en route to a series sweep with wins by the final scores of 15-5 (7 inn.) and 10-1.
Prior to Saturday's first contest, Redlands honored its seniors who have dedicated their craft to the Bulldog baseball program. These seniors included starting pitcher Kevin Stevens (Highland, CA), right-fielder Christian Gurrola (Torrance, CA), first baseman Ryan Franklin (Manhattan Beach, CA), center-fielder Nathan Bowker (Edmonds, OK), and third baseman Mark Tumlinson (Anaheim, CA).
Senior hurler Michael Collins (Upland, CA) was handed the start in the first game of the day and got off to a rocky start in the first inning by allowing two runs. However, the veteran remained poised by blanking the Stags over the course of the next five frames en route to four punch-outs.
The Bulldogs' offense was potent as ever by scoring in all but one inning, starting when junior second baseman Christopher Scalisi (Woodland Hills, CA) pushed across the first Bulldog run in the bottom of the first inning with a sacrifice fly out to center field, scoring senior left-fielder Mitch Samson (Orangevale, CA).
Redlands took the lead in the bottom of the second inning, as junior catcher Kyle Wallau (San Mateo, CA) and Samson each notched sacrifice flies, scoring Tumlinson and sophomore designated hitter Joey Warner (Indio, CA) to take a 3-2 lead.
The Bulldogs etched a crooked number on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning by pushing five runs across the dish to grab a commanding advantage. Warner kicked off the offensive circus with an RBI-single to left field, scoring Scalisi. Gurrola had a nice read on a wild pitch, allowing him to slide into home safely, before a fielding error by the Stags allowed Warner to cross the dish. Samson capped off the inning by lacing a base-knock up the middle to score freshman shortstop Aaron Singh (Anaheim, CA), thus grabbing an 8-2 lead.
The Bulldogs continued to capitalize off fielding errors from the Stags, as Bowker and Samson came around to score on consecutive CMS defensive miscues in the bottom of the sixth inning. Gurrola came up big with an RBI-single to third base, backed by an RBI-two-bagger to left-center field off the barrel of Tumlinson en route to four more runs and a 12-2 advantage.
Following the top of the seventh inning during which CMS plated three more runs to stay alive, the Bulldogs put an end to the contest with three more runs. Bowker blasted a double that bounced off the right-field fence to score Wallau, while Franklin put an end to the game with a sacrifice fly to right field, thus handing the Bulldogs a 15-5 mercy-rule victory.
Collins earned the victory after going the distance and striking out four batters.
Samson helmed the offensive charge by notching a 4-for-5 mark with three RBI and two runs scored. Gurrola went 3-for-5 at the plate, while Warner notched two hits and scored three times.
Game two went equally as smooth with Stevens climbing the hill. Despite allowing one run in the top of the first inning, the senior was untouchable throughout the following six innings by scattering just three hits and striking out three batters.
Redlands struck early in the bottom of the first with three runs and never looked back, starting by capitalizing on an error by the Stags' left-fielder and sending sophomore second baseman Will Hall (Seattle, WA) home. Sophomore designated hitter Rainier Aguilar (San Bernardino, CA) followed by singling through the right side, scoring Scalisi. Franklin capped off the inning by poking a sacrifice ground-out to first base, plating Gurrola for the 3-1 advantage.
The Bulldogs solidified a comfortable lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, first by capitalizing on yet another CMS defensive miscue to score Singh and Franklin. Scalisi followed two batters later with a bases-clearing double to score Hall, Samson, and Bowker, for Redlands' sizable lead at 9-1.
The Bulldogs added two more runs over the course of the contest, as Singh scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the fifth and Tumlinson plated sophomore right fielder Kyle Kabeary (Indio, CA) on a sacrifice fly en route to a 10-1 victory.
Stevens was virtually unhittable by scattering three hits and striking out three batters to earn the victory. Sophomore reliever Noah Jones (San Bernardino, CA) tossed two innings of shutout baseball, as well.
Hall went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and had a flashy play up the middle, while Singh went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and recorded the putout at second base with a one-handed grab on Hall's diving play. Scalisi notched three RBI on the game with a knock and a walk, as well.
The Bulldogs (23-11, 16-8 SCIAC) face off against the Loggers of the University of Puget Sound (WA) tomorrow afternoon in Eagle Rock on the campus of Occidental College. Game time is set for 3 p.m.
