The University of Redlands baseball team split its opening games of the California Invitational on Friday afternoon at The Yard in Redlands, losing to Menlo College, 6-9, in 10 innings before rebounding with an 18-14 triumph over the University of Puget Sound (WA).
Redlands dug itself out of an 0-6 hole in its bout with Menlo, but a three-run home run in the top of the 10th ultimately propelled the Oaks past the Bulldogs.
The Oaks plated two in the second and four in the sixth to take a 6-0 lead through six innings.
The Maroon and Gray responded in the home half of the seventh, chipping away at the deficit with a four-run inning. Graduate student designated hitter Brett Sandford (Santa Barbara, CA) singled up the middle to start the rally before graduate student first baseman Matt Hughes (Westminster, CA) singled to third base. The Menlo third baseman missed his target trying to throw out Hughes, and Sandford and Hughes each advanced an extra base as a result. Junior rightfielder/first baseman Nate Carlson (Portland, OR) then blasted a three-run shot to right-center to cut the Oaks' lead in half. Sophomore second baseman Chase Tucker (Poway, CA) would score later on in the frame off of a groundout.
Sophomore rightfielder Marcus Himelhoch (Beaverton, OR) and Tucker each came across in the eighth to tie the score at six apiece.
Shane Parson and Chris Mazza both got on board to start the 10th, and C.J. Dailey moved them over with a sacrifice bunt. The Bulldogs intentionally walked Kyle Wilkerson to set up a potential inning-ending double play, and the defense retired Parsons when he tried to take off for home after a pitch went into the dirt. With two out and two on, Michael Brandi ripped a homer—his second of the game—to right-center.
Brandon Moe held the Bulldogs scoreless in the 10th to preserve the win.
Senior pitcher Michael Lessig (Fountain Hills, AZ) received the start on the mound for Redlands and pitched 6 1/3 innings, yielding six runs, three of which were earned, off seven hits and two walks while striking out 11. Head Coach Scott Laverty then handed the ball off to sophomore pitcher Jeff Cashmer (Cherry Valley, CA), who retired one batter before giving way to sophomore pitcher Brock Jacobo (Yuma, AZ). Jacobo scattered four hits and allowed three runs in 3 1/3 frames of work while fanning two Oak batters. After surrendering the game-winning home run, Jacobo was tagged with the loss.
Adam Koontz earned the starting nod for Menlo and went 6 2/3 innings, giving up four runs, three of which were earned, off eight hits. Darren Takasaki and Moe pitched in relief, and Moe earned the win after holding the Bulldogs scoreless for 2 2/3.
Carlson powered the Redlands offense, going 3-for-5 with three RBI and one run scored. Brandi accounted for more than half of Menlo's run production with a 2-for-5 effort at the dish, which included two home runs and five RBI.
Redlands went run-for-run with Puget Sound in the nightcap and relied on a cycle by Carlson to prevail over the Loggers.
The Bulldogs, playing as the visiting team, surrendered a Mark Rockey homer in the bottom of the first before plating three in the third off of a Carlson roundtripper, a triple by senior centerfielder Will Wetmore (Santa Cruz, CA) and a Sandford single. Redlands tacked on two more in the top of fifth, but the Loggers equalized the score with a four-run home half. Senior catcher Jefre Johnson (Canby, OR) rocked a pitch over the centerfield wall in the fifth, before the other Bulldog bats chimed in with a six-run sixth.
Down seven, Puget Sound needed to find an answer to Redlands' prolific offensive production. The Loggers proved they were up to the task, as Will Mentor's grand slam capped off a seven-run sixth for the Loggers, which put the score deadlocked at 12.
Senior shortstop Zack Braband (Alameda, CA), J. Johnson, Sandford and Lessig combined to drive in five runs in the seventh, which proved large enough to down Puget Sound. The Loggers scored once in the bottom of the inning, while both teams added one more to the run column in the ninth.
The Maroon and Gray scored 18 runs off 24 hits, while Puget Sound posted 14 runs off 17 hits. The winds favored the power hitters as the two squads combined for seven home runs.
Junior pitcher Derek Johnson (Canby, OR), despite giving up 12 runs, eight of which were earned, off 14 hits, earned the win on the hill for Redlands after pitching six full innings. Jacobo, sophomore pitcher Adam Byrd (Bullhead City, AZ) and senior pitcher Jack Winters (Oradell, NJ) shared the final three frames on the mound and gave up just two runs off three hits.
Tim Fogarty gained the start on the bump for the Loggers and yielded 12 runs off 16 hits over 5 2/3 innings. Matt Robinson absorbed the loss in relief.
Carlson bolstered the Bulldog lineup for the second straight game, going 4-for-5 with three RBI and four runs scored. He becomes just the third-ever Redlands player to hit for the cycle and the first-ever to record the feat against a team other than Caltech. Ryan Beglin last cycled on Feb. 28, 2003.
Sandford, Lessig and Braband each added four hits.
Doug Cox hit two homers in the loss for Puget Sound, while Casey Coberly had a solid 4-for-5 outing at the plate.
Redlands (16-3, 10-2 SCIAC) takes to the diamond at The Yard again on Saturday (March 20) for an 11 a.m. California Invitational doubleheader against Wesleyan University (CT).