REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands baseball team scored a season-high 22 runs in a 22-8 non-conference victory over La Sierra University. The Bulldogs move to 3-1 on the season with the win.
Despite the convincing win, the Bulldogs trailed 4-0 after the top half of the first inning. The Bulldogs got on the board thanks to Mark Kirkland (Redlands, Calif.) who started the scoring with a fielder's choice run batted in (RBI) that brought home Jared Anderson (Gilbert, Ariz.). The game would then get tied with one swing thanks to Matthew Brumbaugh's (Chula Vista¸ Calif.) bases-clearing double.
The Bulldogs got their fifth, sixth, and seventh runs of the inning from a three-run home run from Payton Walsh (Santa Ana, Calif.).
After a scoreless second inning, the Bulldogs got two runs more thanks to a fourth RBI from Walsh and a sacrifice fly from Max Smyley (Sarasota, Fla.).
The Bulldogs got a third consecutive shut down inning from starter Andrew Rueter (San Diego, Calif.) and scored another pair of runs that made it 11-4 thanks to a sacrifice fly from Omar Barraza (San Mateo, Calif.) and a run after Brumbaugh took advantage of an error.
After a single run came across for the Bulldogs in the fifth and the Golden Eagles got their fifth run in the top of the sixth, Anderson hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot that scored Walsh. Kirkland, Jonah Advincula (Santa Clara, Calif.), and Walsh all drove in a run that expanded the lead to 18-5 after six innings.
In the seventh and eighth innings the Bulldogs scored another four runs. Smyley got another RBI, Nathan Buchan (Mercer Island, Wash.) singled to left and drove home Smyley, Gabriel Ceja (Long Beach, Calif.) had an RBI-groundout, and the 22nd and final run came from Cade McClelland (Mission Viejo, Calif.) who hit a sacrifice fly to center field.
Rueter started and went six innings, with three earned runs, and a pair of strikeouts. After allowing four in the first inning, Rueter went five innings with only one run allowed. Nicholas Rohen (San Diego, Calif.) went one scoreless inning, and Tyler Reiter (San Diego, Calif.) was able to close out a scoreless ninth with a pair of strikeouts.
Leadoff hitter Anderson went 4-for-5 with two RBIs that came off his home run and he scored twice. Walsh led the Bulldogs with five RBIs thanks to three hits as he finished a double short of the cycle. Matching Walsh with three hits was Brumbaugh who also scored three times and drove in three. Esteban Nakashima (Riverside, Calif.), Smyley, and Max Clark (Fontana, Calif.) all had muti-hit days.
As a team the Bulldogs had 23 hits, 10 extra-base hits, walked four times with only five strikeouts. On the mound the Bulldogs allowed eight runs but only five were earned. They also were clean with only three walks conceded. On the bases the were able to take four extra bases with steals thanks to Nakashima, Kirkland, and two from Advincula.
The Bulldogs head on the road with a double-header at St. Katherine's tomorrow, Saturday, February 19 with first pitch at 2:00 p.m. The second game of the double-header is an exhibition, so only the first game counts towards the standings.