Junior Marcus Himelhoch (Portland, OR) came off the bench and hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the University of Redlands baseball team to a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over visiting Chapman University during Friday's Senior Day.
The Bulldogs fell behind in the early frames when the Panthers took a 2-0 advantage in the top of the second. Chapman added to its lead in the fourth, tacking on another pair of runs.
The Bulldogs battled back and pushed across a run in the bottom half of the frame on an infield single by senior first baseman Jon Cavender (Rancho Cucamonga, CA). Senior shortstop Chase Tucker (Poway, CA) initiated the opportunity when he reached on a fielder's choice and then stole second. He made it to third on a passed ball, setting up the RBI-single by Cavender.
Trailing the Panthers by three, the Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth after senior left fielder Trenton Lively (La Verne, CA) got the inning started with a single to right field. Freshman third baseman Sean McMillan (Redwood City, CA) and Tucker followed with a base-hit and a walk, respectively. Himelhoch stepped up to the plate and shot a bomb over the left-field fence to give Redlands a 5-4 advantage.
After pitching 5.2 innings in relief of junior southpaw Eliot Smith (West Linn, OR), senior right-hander Brock Jacobo (Yuma, AZ) earned the win in his team-leading 21st appearance. Jacobo was solid in the outing, allowing just one hit and fanning seven without giving up a run.
Chapman's starter Travis McGee suffered the loss, pitching 8.0 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits while walking two and striking out six.
McMillan went 3-for-4 and scored one run in the contest. Tucker scored a pair of runs, and Cavender finished the day going 1-for-4 with an RBI.
Prior to the start of the game, the Bulldogs honored their nine seniors who were playing at the Yard for the final time. In addition to Jacobo, Tucker, Lively, and Cavender, Redlands recognized second baseman Cameron Lowe (Olympia, WA), infielder Ben Saunders (New River, AZ), catcher Landon McMath (Riverside, CA), pitcher Adam Byrd (Bullhead City, AZ), and pitcher Josh Snyder (Denver, CO).
Redlands closes out the regular season with a doubleheader at Chapman University on Saturday, beginning at 3 p.m.
