The 17th-ranked University of Redlands baseball team finished out its regular season and honored its seniors while completing a three-game weekend series with the No. 14 Chapman University Panthers. Redlands dropped the first game on Friday and then spilt the Saturday doubleheader at The Yard, earning a 9-8 comeback victory in the opener and falling by a score of 5-6 in the nightcap.
In the Bulldogs' victory, the club pulled off one of its classic come-from-behind performances, posting six runs in the final two innings.
The game was tight in the early goings with the scored knotted through five frames until Chapman recorded a four-run eighth to take the lead.
With junior pinch-hitter Ben Saunders (New River, AZ) crushing a huge two-run bomb, Redlands cut the deficit in half during the bottom half of the inning.
Junior shortstop Chase Tucker (Poway, CA) kept the Maroon and Gray's rally alive by leading off the ninth with a laser-like triple. Junior one-bagger Jon Cavender (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) brought Tucker home on a sacrifice fly to center field, making it a one-run game.
Previous walk-off hero freshman Max Hardman (Encinitas, CA) came up clutch once again for the Bulldogs with a lining RBI-single through the left side, tying up the ball game at eight all with only one out in the frame.
Freshman catcher Joe Bell (Bakersfield, CA) preformed admirably for Redlands in the most important at-bat of his young career, roping the game-winning base hit to right field.
On the mound for the U of R, junior Brock Jacobo (Yuma, AZ) picked up the win after finishing out the final 1.2 innings. Sophomore starter Kyle Hart (Burbank, CA) provided six strong innings while allowing four runs on five hits and striking out three.
Redlands dropped the other two contests against Chapman, losing in Orange on Friday, 0-2, and then falling in 5-6 decision in 10 innings during Saturday's second game. In Friday's pitchers' battle, senior Derek Johnson (Canby, OR) threw a complete game while giving up two unearned runs. After rallying back to tie it at five in the ninth inning, the Bulldogs surrendered a run in the top of 10th, resulting in the difficult loss in the twin bill.
Between games of the doubleheader, the Bulldogs took a few minutes to honor senior left fielder Brandon Owashi (San Diego, CA), senior right fielder Nate Carlson (Portland, OR) and Johnson.
The Bulldogs (29-11, 22-6) now await their postseason destiny as the remaining Division III schools finish out the regular season. UR looks forward to the NCAA's announcement on May 15 via the selection show at http://www.ncaa.com/sports/baseball/d3.
