Junior first baseman Jon Cavender (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) ripped a two-out, base-clearing triple in the bottom of the eighth to secure the University of Redlands baseball team's 4-1 victory over Occidental College. Cavender's crushing hit finally broke a 1-1 tie during today's Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) showdown against the Tigers.

Senior pitcher Derek Johnson (Canby, OR) went the distance for the third time in 2011, picking up his fifth victory in as many appearances this season.

Occidental took an early 1-0 lead after Johnson hit two batters and the Bulldog defense committed two errors in the opening frame.

The Bulldog bats finally woke up in the fifth inning to even the score at one apiece. Junior designated hitter Ben Saunders (New River, AZ) drove home sophomore third baseman Jason Henning (Redlands, CA) with a sacrifice fly after Henning stroked a leadoff double and stole third. Henning now leads the Bulldogs in both doubles (7) and runs (13) scored so far this season.

The Tigers and Bulldogs each exchanged two more scoreless innings until Cavender uncorked his clutch hit in the eighth inning. Cavender faced two strikes early in the count prior to driving in sophomore pinch runner Ryan Buscemi (Tiburon, CA), senior left fielder Brandon Owashi (San Diego, CA) and senior right fielder Nate Carlson (Portland, OR).

In the complete-game, one-run outing, Johnson gave up only three hits and walked one while ringing up eight Tigers.

Eight Bulldogs notched at least one hit, highlighted by junior second baseman Cameron Lowe's (Olympia, WA) 2-for-3 day at the plate.

Sophomore first baseman Petter Overton-Harris (Beaverton, OR) collected his third hit while coming off the bench when he led off in today's eighth inning.

Redlands has now won the first game in each of its Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) three-game series.

The Bulldogs (8-4, 7-3 SCIAC) battle it out with Occidental in tomorrow's doubleheader in Eagle Rock, beginning at 11 a.m.