The University of Redlands baseball team won two of three games during this weekend's Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) series against the Poets of Whittier College. On Saturday, the Bulldogs pounded the Poets on the road with scores of 16-1 and 11-3, and then dropped a 4-6 decision at The Yard on Sunday.
In Saturday's opener, senior starting pitcher Derek Johnson (Canby, OR) led the way for the Bulldogs by tossing his fourth complete game of the season. Based on the conference's 10-run rule, the hurler went seven solid innings and allowed only three hits on a trio of singles. The ace of the staff rang up eight batters en route to his team-leading ninth victory of the 2011 campaign.
Trailing by a run after three innings, Redlands pushed across 16 throughout the subsequent four innings, including a nine-spot in the top of the fourth.
Senior left fielder Brandon Owashi (San Diego, CA) posted a season-best four RBI in the game, going 2-for-4 at the dish.
Ten different Bulldogs notched a hit in the contest, with four enjoying a multi-knock performance.
During the nightcap, Redlands notched its 10th game of the season with 10 or more runs with an 11-3 showing.
Junior middle infielder Cameron Lowe (Olympia, WA) highlighted the game by smacking four of the team's 20 knocks.
Senior right fielder Nate Carlson (Portland, OR) and sophomore third baseman Jason Inning (Redlands, CA) each went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI apiece.
On the hill, sophomore Kyle Hart (Burbank, CA) earned the win with his quality start. The second-year thrower went six innings, giving up three runs on seven hits while striking out six batters.
Relievers junior Brock Jacobo (Yuma, AZ), sophomore Paul Dippel (East Granby, CT) and freshman Casey Miller (Laguna Beach, CA) shut the door on the Poets with three scoreless innings.
After capturing two solid victories on the road, the Maroon and Gray returned to the friendly confines of the Yard on Sunday, but suffered a two-run loss to the Poets.
The Bulldogs faced an early deficit and fought to create a great comeback story, but fell just short while leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.
Junior shortstop Chase Tucker (Poway, CA) collected three hits in the game, including a huge RBI triple in the eighth to initiate the Bulldogs' scoring rally.
Accounting for half of the Maroon and Gray offense, Carlson and junior catcher Landon McMath (Riverside, CA) each tallied two hits.
Taking the loss for the Bulldogs, junior pitcher Adam Byrd (Bullhead City, AZ) gave up four runs after five frames.
Redlands (20-7, 14-4) travels to 11th-ranked Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Friday for an important SCIAC game at 3 p.m. The teams then face off in an 11 a.m. doubleheader on Saturday at the Yard.