The No. 11 University of Redlands baseball team lost consecutive games for the first time this season when it fell, 3-6, to Occidental College in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action Sunday afternoon at Anderson Field in Eagle Rock. On Saturday afternoon, the Maroon and Gray dropped a SCIAC contest to Cal Lutheran University by a count of 3-5.
The Bulldogs committed four errors in the loss, including two in the eighth.
After two scoreless innings, Redlands went up 2-0 in the top half of the third. Sophomore third baseman Cameron Lowe (Olympia, WA) led off the inning with a double to left field and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by senior shortstop Zack Braband (Alameda, CA). In the ensuing at bat, senior centerfielder Will Wetmore (Santa Cruz, CA) stroked a two-run homer to left to put the Bulldogs on the board.
Occidental plated two in the bottom of the third to knot the score at two apiece.
Braband laid down his second sacrifice bunt of the game in the eighth, which put Lowe 180 feet away from home. Wetmore then singled to left, which brought in Lowe.
As was the case in the third, the Tigers responded in the bottom of the inning. This time, however, Occidental erupted for four hits and scored four runs.
Brooks Belter retired the Bulldogs in order in the top of the ninth to preserve the upset victory.
Senior pitcher/first baseman Michael Lessig (Fountain Hills, AZ) got the starting nod on the hill for Redlands and lasted 7 1/3 innings, scattering six hits and allowing three runs, two of which were earned. He also struck out a game-high four batters. Lessig then handed the ball off to sophomore pitcher Brock Jacobo (Yuma, AZ) in the eighth, who struggled in one-third of an inning. Jacobo gave up three runs, two of which were earned, on three hits and shouldered the loss, his second of the year. Senior pitcher Jack Winters (Oradell, NJ) recorded the final out of the eighth.
Stephen Hilliard drew the start on the mound for Occidental and yielded three runs on six hits over 7 2/3 frames of work. Belter threw the final 1 1/3 innings and held the Bulldogs hitless, picking up the win in the process.
Wetmore drove in all three of Redlands' runs, going 2-for-4 with one run scored. Lowe went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while sophomore second baseman Chase Tucker (Poway, CA) and Braband each notched one hit.
Anthony Salsedo led the Tiger attack, batting 3-for-4 with two RBI.
Redlands (27-6, 19-5 SCIAC) looks to right the ship on Saturday (April 24) when it faces No. 10 Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in a crucial conference game at 3 p.m. at The Yard.