The University of Redlands baseball team split a doubleheader against Caltech in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action on Saturday at the Yard. The Bulldogs pulled ahead early in a 7-3 win to start the day but endured a rough inning that led to a 4-10 loss to end the series.
With two outs in the first inning of the day, junior second baseman Andrew Renteria (Van Nuys, CA) knocked a home run deep over the left-field fence to put Redlands on the board first. After senior first baseman Brendan Moore (Murrieta, CA) singled up the middle, he made it all the way home on first-year catcher Sammy Diaz's (Palm Desert, CA) double to make it 2-0.
In the top of the second, first-year pitcher Andrew Rueter (San Diego, CA) concluded his 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout, which inspired the Bulldog bats in the bottom of the frame. With the bases loaded and only one out, junior third baseman Anthony Acosta (Simi Valley, CA) brought in a run on a sacrifice fly, and sophomore left fielder Brennen Carr (Chino Hills, CA) made it across on a passed ball to gain a 4-0 advantage.
Both teams stepped up their defense to keep the other off the board through the fifth. However, the Beavers began to gain momentum by scoring three over the sixth and seventh innings to make it a 3-4 ball game.
Nonetheless, the Maroon and Gray regained control with a lucrative eighth inning to secure the win. Carr and Walsh hit consecutive RBI singles, while senior shortstop Aaron Singh (Anaheim, CA) brought Carr home on a sacrifice fly to put the Bulldogs on top, 7-3. Sophomore pitcher Justin Yang (Fountain Valley, CA) closed the game out strong to record the save in the Bulldogs' victory.
In game two, Caltech put up a crooked number in the top of the third to stun the home team.
Unfortunately, the Bulldogs ran into a dry spell at the plate through six innings. The bats came alive in the seventh, beginning with Walsh's leadoff triple over the right fielder's head. After Singh earned a free pass, Acosta launched a two-RBI double to right center to put the first runs on the board for Redlands. The Bulldogs then loaded the bases, which allowed Acosta to scramble home on a wild pitch, to make it 3-9 after seven.
Although the Beavers scored a run in the eighth, the Maroon and Gray countered with one of their own in the bottom of the inning, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit.
Diaz and sophomore right fielder Cal Bridges (Fremont, CA) each registered two hits, while Acosta posted two RBI for the Maroon and Gray.
Redlands (14-16-1, 7-7-1 SCIAC) continues to make a postseason push with a critical SCIAC series against the University of La Verne. Game one begins on the road on Friday, April 12, at 3 p.m. The series concludes at home on Saturday, April 13, beginning at 11 a.m.