The University of Redlands baseball team continued its hunt for a spot in the postseason tournament by traveling to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges for the final two games of a three-game Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) series. The Bulldogs took care of the Stags by hauling in a 6-4 victory in game one and then cruising to a 14-1 victory for a mercy-rule outing in game two.
In the opening contest, the Bulldogs looked to freshman starter Matthew Acosta (San Bernardino, CA) to start the day off with a statement on the mound. He did just that by tossing eight strong innings while giving up a mere two runs and scattering 10 hits.
Offensively, the Bulldogs struck first, as sophomore shortstop Christopher Scalisi (Woodland Hills, CA) led off with a two-bagger and later came around to score on a wild pitch to grab an immediate 1-0 advantage.
Freshman designated hitter Joey Warner (Indio, CA) expanded the Maroon and Gray's lead to three runs in the top of the fourth inning by doubling through the left side, scoring the outfield tandem of junior Mitch Samson (Orangevale, CA) and senior Connor Hancock (Burbank, CA).
Warner continued to swing a mighty stick by notching his second double of the game in the top of the sixth, which scored Hancock after he reached via single. Junior first baseman Ryan Franklin (Manhattan Beach, CA) pushed across anther run by producing a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Warner to cross home for the 5-1 advantage.
Next inning, Scalisi displayed aggressive base-running by providing an insurance run off a pop-out to the first baseman off the bat of senior shortstop Jordan Dresner (Etiwanda, CA).
Although CMS notched a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth, Redlands remained ahead and took home the 6-4 win.
Scalisi went 4-for-5 with two runs scored, while Warner notched a 2-for-3 day with three RBI and a run scored.
Acosta picked up his sixth win of the year after commanding the majority of the game on the bump and fanning eight batters.
In game two, the Bulldogs carried over their strong offense to mark their fifth mercy-induced victory in the last six games, hauling in a 15-1 win for the series sweep of the Stags.
After trailing 0-1 through three innings, the Bulldogs woke up their bats by scoring 15 runs over the next four innings, highlighted by a five-run top of the fourth that included four-consecutive two-out, RBI-knocks. Sophomore center-fielder Christian Conci (San Mateo, CA) blasted a double to center field to drive in Hancock, before junior first baseman John Keane (Clayton, CA) followed with a double of his own to scoring Conci. Senior catcher Sean McMillan (Redwood City, CA) plated Kean by driving a single up the middle, while Dresner put an exclamation mark on the inning by launching a two-run homerun to left field that found the trees for a 5-1 lead.
Keane was at it again in the top of the fifth, as he notched a two-RBI single to center field for the Bulldogs' 7-1 advantage. Hancock, Conci, and McMillan continued to barrel up RBI-hits the following inning, as they each plated runs on well-timed singles for Redlands' 11-1 lead.
Junior third baseman Mark Tumlinson (Anaheim, CA) put the final nail in the Stags' coffin in the top of the seventh, as he sent a pitch into orbit for a two-run homerun en route to the 14-1 win.
Junior starter Michael Collins (Upland, CA) picked up his fourth win on the year after tossing seven strong innings, scattering five hits, and allowing one run in a two-strikeout showing.
The middle of the Bulldogs' order, which consists of Tumlinson, Warner, Hancock, and Samson, combined for an 8-for-16 day, with three RBI and eight runs scored. Kean and McMillan each notched two hits as well.
The Bulldogs (23-9, 16-8 SCIAC) turn to non-conference action on Friday, April 17, when they face off against the University of Puget Sound (WA) Loggers at 12 noon at the Yard.