The University of Redlands baseball team squared off against the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges Stags for a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) doubleheader on Saturday at the Yard. A late-game push propelled the Bulldogs to a 4-1 victory in the first game, but the Stags rallied back in the high-scoring night cap to hand the home team a 15-18 loss.
Senior pitcher Michael Collins (Upland, CA) climbed the hill for the Bulldogs in game one. Despite giving up three-straight singles for a run, he quickly regrouped and struck out the next three batters in order. He recorded two more punch-outs in the top of the third.
In the bottom of the fourth, the home team got things going offensively to equalize the score at one apiece. After junior catcher Rainier Aguilar (San Bernardino, CA) drew a walk, he made his way to third on a single and a passed ball. Junior designated hitter Jordan Babbitt (Highland, CA) then launched a sacrifice fly to centerfield to plate Aguilar.
Both pitchers continued to cruise through the line-ups over the next few frames. Collins struck out one in the eighth before senior hurler John White (Burbank, CA) was called in. After White secured the final out, the Bulldogs headed into the bottom of the eighth with the score still knotted at 1-1.
With two runners on, Aguilar stepped up to the plate and blasted a triple to deep right-center for the game-winning, two RBI. Sophomore first basemen Brendan Moore (Murrieta, CA) then dinged a double for the third and final run of that inning, giving the Bulldogs the 4-1 advantage.
White shut down the top of the ninth by securing all three outs by way of strikeout.
During the second game, John Keane (Clayton, CA) took the pearl as the starter on the mound.
The home team jumped on the board first, as senior centerfielder Christian Conci (San Mateo, CA) fired off a triple to right center. Senior third basemen Christopher Scalisi (Woodland Hills, CA) subsequently knocked a base-hit for the score.
In the bottom of the third, Redlands went up by two more runs when senior left fielder Mitch Samson (Orangevale, CA) sent a homerun over the left-field fence with a runner on for the 3-0 Bulldog lead.
Unfortunately for the home team, the Stags slowly chipped away at the deficit and ultimately surpassed the Bulldogs in the fifth inning for a 5-3 lead.
But the Maroon and Gray busted the game wide open by putting up seven runs in the bottom of the sixth. The team laced together six hits, including two triples off of junior short stop Aaron Singh (Anaheim, CA) and junior second basemen Will Hall (Seattle, WA) for two RBI each. Samson doubled, while Scalisi, Conci, and freshman first basemen Jake Bryant (Glendora, CA) each knocked a base hit. Heading into the top of the seventh, Redlands owned a 10-5 lead.
After CMS put up one in the subsequent half inning, Redlands answered right back to score four for the 14-5 advantage through seven innings.
However, the CMS bats came alive in the top of the eighth on six hits for eight runs, equalizing the score at 14-14. The Stags took the lead in the ninth by plating four runs to put the Bulldogs in a 14-18 hole.
Redlands attempted the comeback, as Conci singled through the left side before Scalisi singled to right field. Aguilar lined a single up the middle to plate a run, but the subsequent batter hit into a double play, ending the Bulldogs' late-game rally and the difficult 15-18 loss.
The Bulldogs (19-11, 10-5 SCIAC) continue conference action as they host the University of La Verne on Friday, April 7, at The Yard for a 3 p.m. game.
