The University of Redlands baseball team welcomed Williams College (MA) to The Yard on Monday, March 20, for a non-conference game. The Bulldogs took an early lead, but Williams battled back to notch the score at eight apiece in the sixth. Redlands plated one run in the bottom of the eighth and shut down the ninth to narrowly defeat the Ephs, 9-8.
Freshman pitcher Michael Rishebarger (Oceanside, CA) took the ball for the afternoon contest and cruised through the top of Williams' order, going three-up, three-down to kick off the first.
The Maroon and Gray put up a crooked number in the bottom of the first for the early 3-0 lead. With two on base, senior third basemen Christopher Scalisi (Woodland Hills, CA) dinged a double down the left-field line to plate a run. An error by the Williams' left fielder scored the second run and allowed Scalisi to advance to third. Another Eph miscue allowed Redlands to add its third run.
Although Williams equalized the score in the top of the fifth to make it 4-4, the Bulldogs plated four more in the bottom of the fifth to take an 8-4 advantage. Junior right-fielder Kyle Kabeary (Indio, CA) and sophomore shortstop Aaron Singh (Anaheim, CA) each were credited with an RBI, while senior left fielder Mitch Samson's (Orangevale, CA) single drove in two runs.
The Ephs refused to go away and matched the Bulldogs' four runs in the top of the sixth to knot the score at eight.
Junior second basemen Will Hall (Seattle, WA) provided solid defense to keep the Ephs off the board in the seventh and eighth innings. He contributed to a successful double play and accounted for two more outs in those innings.
After those impressive defensive plays, Hall smacked a double to deep, right field to lead off the bottom of the eighth and then successfully stole third. Scalisi then sent a shallow fly ball to left field, but with Hall's quick feet, he made it home in time for the Maroon and Gray's 9-8 lead.
Earlier in the game, freshman Austin Williams (Redlands, CA) and junior Adam Stead (Rialto, CA) made an appearance on the mound, before senior John White (Burbank, CA) was called in to close out the ninth. He did just that by pitching a fly out and striking out two to hold on for the 9-8 victory.
Redlands (14-9) faces a quick turnaround by hosting Wesleyan University (CT), on Tuesday, March 21, for a 3 p.m. game at The Yard.
