After winning the first of the three-game series, the University of Redlands baseball team headed to Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Saturday for a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) doubleheader with hopes of earning the series sweep. The Maroon and Gray did just that, as the squad downed the Sagehens by scores of 13-3 and 14-0. With these wins, the Bulldogs sprung up the standings to secure one of four sports in the SCIAC Postseason Tournament.
The Bulldogs wasted little time jumping on the board, as junior catcher Rainier Aguilar (San Bernardino, CA) blasted a line-drive single to plate senior center fielder Christian Conci (San Mateo, CA), who singled to deep, center field in the top of the first.
The Sagehens gained a slight lead in the bottom of the second, but it did not last long, as the Bulldogs strung together three-straight singles to equalize the score at 2-2 in the top of the third.
The visiting team celebrated a breakout inning in the top of the fourth. With the bases loaded with just one out, Conci stepped up again and uncorked a bases-clearing double. Two more base-knocks subsequently followed for the 6-2 Bulldog advantage.
With senior starting pitcher Michael Collins (Upland, CA) still on the mound and cruising through the Sagehen lineup, the Bulldog offense never looked back. Redlands put up two runs in each the fifth, sixth, and eighth innings while adding one in the seventh. The fifth was highlighted by junior second basemen Will Hall's (Seattle, WA) RBI-triple.
Redlands owned an 11-2 lead heading in to the top of the eighth. Hall and senior left fielder Mitch Samson (Orangevale, CA) each registered an RBI-single for a 13-2 advantage. Although Pomona-Pitzer knocked a homerun in the bottom of the eighth, it was not enough to overcome the 10-run hole, leading to a shortened Bulldog victory.
Conci ended the game by going 4-for-6 with four RBI.
During the second game, both pitchers made fast work of the first inning. Although the Sagehens produced a baserunner, senior catcher Kyle Wallau (San Mateo, CA) threw a bullet to second base to catch the would-be base-stealer.
The Bulldogs busted things wide open in the second frame by putting up six runs on just two hits. Wallau started off the offensive outburst with an RBI-single to center field. After a hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice fly, the bases were loaded for Aguilar, who subsequently sent a bases-clearing double down the left-field line for a 6-0 Redlands lead.
The Maroon and Gray added one in the fourth off of single by sophomore first basemen Brendan Moore (Murrieta, CA)
Again in the fifth, the Bulldogs enjoyed a lucrative frame, as Samson lined a sharp three-RBI double down the left-field line for a 10-0 Bulldog lead.
With two outs and a runner on, Wallau doubled to left center for an RBI, which was followed by an RBI-single off the bat of Hall. Redlands walked in two more runs for a huge sixth inning that put the visitors up by a score of 14-0.
Although senior hurler John Keane (Clayton, CA) owned such a large lead, he kept his focus on the mound and put trust in his defense to make plays in the field, which led to another shortened complete-game victory.
Wallau went 4-for-4 for two RBI in a solid outing, while Samson and Aguilar were credited with four and three RBI, respectively.
With the final series in the books, Redlands (25-14, 16-8 SCIAC) advances to the SCIAC Postseason Tournament for the fourth time in five years. The Bulldogs' first game is set for Friday, May 5, against Chapman University.