The University of Redlands baseball team welcomed non-conference competitor Ursinus College (PA) to The Yard for a Monday afternoon doubleheader. Under pristine conditions, the Bulldogs utilized almost every available player to top the Bears in both games by scores of 10-5 (7 innings) and 11-2.
First-year pitcher Matt Crow (Lake Elsinore, CA) took the mound for his first start in the Maroon and Gray. Crow sat the first three Ursinus batters and concluded the inning with two strikeouts.
After the Bears added a run on one hit in the top of the second, Redlands immediately answered with a crooked number in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-1 lead. The Bulldogs scored the first run on a bases-loaded wild pitch. Now with two on and two outs, junior shortstop Aaron Singh (Anaheim, CA) sent a bases-clearing double to left field to extend the home team's advantage.
Crow returned to the mound with a two-score advantage. With one on and two outs, the Bears hammered a double to right but the accurate relay from first-year right fielder Cal Bridges (Fremont, CA) to first-year second baseman Chris Fousek Jr. (San Diego, CA) to senior catcher Rainier Aguilar (San Bernardino, CA) tagged the runner coming home to keep the Bears off the board.
Redlands added four runs in the third on a bases-loaded walk, two wild pitches, and a sacrifice fly off the bat of senior center fielder Kyle Kabeary (Indio, CA).
Ursinus attempted the comeback in the top of the fourth by adding three runs on four hits. First-year pitcher Nick Hammel (San Diego, CA) entered the game in relief and retired the final two batters.
The Bulldogs matched those three runs in the bottom of the same inning, beginning with sophomore designated hitter Andrew Renteria's (Van Nuys, CA) RBI-single to left field. Now with two retired and Renteria on second, Bridges hit a monstrous home run over the left-field fence for a 10-4 advantage through four innings.
The Bears added their fifth and final run of the game in the top of the fifth.
Bridges then came from right field to the mound to pitch two solid innings of relief. He recorded two punch-outs in the final six outs to secure Redlands' seven-inning, 10-5 victory.
After a short break, sophomore hurler Michael Rishebarger (Oceanside, CA) climbed the bump for game two against the Bears. Rishebarger started the game off strong with a quick 1-2-3 inning.
Singh started the bottom of the first in a big way when he blasted a leadoff home run. The offense didn't stop there, as Redlands tacked on two additional runs on two hits and a Bear miscue.
Rishebarger continued to deal tough pitches, quickly retiring the next three Ursinus batters.
The Maroon and Gray put up three more runs in the second frame. First-year left fielder Jon Pacheco (Moreno Valley, CA) led off with a sharp single to left center. With one out and two runners on senior third baseman Brendan Gardiner (Mission Viejo, CA) smacked a sacrifice fly to plate Pacheco. Renteria followed with a single to send Singh home before junior first baseman Brenden Moore (Murrieta, CA) capped off the spurt with a deep double to left center to plate Renteria all the way from first.
Rishebarger returned to the mound in the third with a 6-0 lead and continued to blow past the Bears' batting order through the fourth.
The Bulldogs stayed hot at the plate, as Moore stepped up with the bases juiced in the bottom of the fourth. He subsequently belted a double high up the right-center berm for three RBI and the Bulldogs' huge 9-0 advantage.
After giving up two runs and recording two outs, Rishebarger was lifted by Hammel, who went on to fan the next batter for the third out.
In the seventh inning, first-year pitcher Jake Stewart (El Cajon, CA) made his first appearance on the mound as a Bulldog. Although he pitched out of the stretch, he retired the side with no damage done.
Pacheco knocked a sacrifice fly in the bottom of that inning to plate senior left fielder Nick Ono (Yorba Linda, CA), who found his way on via base on balls.
Stewart came back out stronger than ever in the eighth, retiring the first batters by way of strikeouts.
The Bulldogs added one more insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Senior designated hitter Joey Warner (Indio, CA) led off with a two-base blast to right. Warner made his way around the bases and ultimately scored on a passed ball.
First-year pitcher Justin Yang (Fountain Valley, CA) was called in from the bullpen to close out the game. With a runner on, Yang sat the next two batters with one looking and one swinging strikeout. Pacheco flagged down the final putout in center field for the huge 11-2 victory.
Singh enjoyed a solid day at the plate by going 5-for-7 with three doubles and a home run. He also recorded three RBI and scored three runs. Bridges went 3-for-3 with a dinger, three RBI, and three runs in game one, while Moore went 2-for-2 with two doubles for four RBI in game two.
Redlands (12-3) continues non-conference action on Saturday, March 10, when it meets Centenary College (LA) at the Yard for an 11 a.m. doubleheader.
