Junior pitcher Josh Makler (Portland, OR) made history on Saturday as he became one of the select few individuals to ever throw a no-hitter for the University of Redlands baseball program. In his no-hit performance on the mound, Makler led the Bulldogs to an 8-0 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) triumph over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges and the series win in Saturday's opener, while Redlands ended up dropping the third game of the series with the Stags later in the day, 6-9.
Makler is the first Bulldog pitcher to hurl a complete-game no-hitter in at least 15 years for Redlands, and he joins a trio of Maroon and Gray pitchers, who combined for a perfect game in 2011, as members of the no-hit club. Kyle Hart, Casey Miller, and Brock Jacobo combined to go seven innings on that day in late March in the 12-0 win over Caltech while not allowing a hit or walk.
On Saturday at the Yard, Makler got some help from the Bulldog bats early on, as Redlands scored three runs in the first inning and three more in the second to take a 6-0 lead. Junior second-baseman Jordan Dresner (Etiwanda, CA) came up with the big hit in the first frame with a two-RBI single to left field, while in the second inning, senior center-fielder Alex Scheiwe (Encinitas, CA) recorded an RBI-base-knock to help extend the advantage.
Redlands tacked on one more in the third, and from that point on, Makler cruised through the next several innings. The Maroon and Gray scored one in the sixth when senior catcher Joe Bell (Bakersfield, CA) walked with the bases loaded, earning an RBI on the play.
With the score at 8-0, Makler continued to stymie the Stags' batters, striking out a number of CMS players and trusting his defense behind him. In the eighth inning, Dresner kept the no-hitter intact when he dove at full stretch to his right to make a catch on a sharp line-drive.
Needing just three more outs in the ninth frame, Makler registered a pair of fly-outs, and then earned the final out via a strikeout, sending the entire Bulldog team to the mound where they mobbed Makler and celebrated the no-hitter.
Watch the final out of Makler's no-hitter here.
After the game, Makler talked about what it was like to throw a no-hitter, and about how his defense played a major role in helping him earn the win.
Watch the post-game interview with Makler here.
In addition to going all nine innings without giving up a hit, Makler struck out a career-best 11 batters in the win.
At the plate, freshman left-fielder Christopher Scalisi (Woodland Hills, CA) led the way with a 3-for-5 performance and one run scored, while Dresner tallied a team-best three RBI. Additionally, Scheiwe recorded two hits, one RBI, and one run scored.
In the final contest of the three-game stint, Redlands once again continued its momentum and jumped on top early, taking a 4-0 lead after three innings. The Stags fought back though, scoring five runs over the course of the next two innings, while the Bulldogs notched just two. CMS then tied the game in the seventh via a solo homerun, and took the lead in the eighth via a three-run blast over the left-field wall.
Redlands tried to mount a rally in the ninth frame, but could not come back from the three-run deficit, resulting in the tough conference loss.
Junior right-fielder Connor Hancock (Burbank, CA) led the U of R in Saturday's nightcap with three hits and two runs scored, while both Scalisi and senior designated hitter Max Hardman (Encinitas, CA) tallied two hits apiece.
The Bulldogs (13-21, 12-12 SCIAC) now must wait to see what their schedule will look like for the SCIAC Final Four. Those last four games of the conference schedule will be determined on where Redlands sits in the standings after next weekend's SCIAC games. Stay tuned on www.goredlands.com for the up-to-date schedule as it becomes available.
