The University of Redlands baseball team welcomed the Whittier College Poets to The Yard for a scheduled Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) doubleheader. Through wet conditions and a lengthy rain delay, the Bulldogs cranked out 16 hits to top Whitter by a final score of 12-3. Due to the long delay, the third game of the series will take place on Sunday, February 23, at 2:30 p.m.
Junior pitcher Justin Yang (Fountain Valley, CA) took the mound for the Bulldogs and ran through the first Whittier batters, recording two strikeouts.
The Maroon and Gray subsequently broke out the bats and strung together a nice two-out rally, putting up nine runs in the bottom of the first. After two outs, a walk, and a single, sophomore left fielder Alex Olague (Renton, WA) drove a hard-hit single to left that the outfielder misplayed allowing two Bulldogs to score. Sophomore catcher Matthew Brumbaugh (Chula Vista, CA) and senior center fielder Joey Wozniak (San Diego, CA) laced back-to-back singles before first-year second baseman Jonah Advincula (Santa Clara, CA) sent a double to left-center for two RBI and a 7-0 Redlands advantage.
But the Bulldogs did not stop there, senior third baseman Anthony Acosta (Simi Valley, CA) crushed a ball over the left-center wall for a two-run home run and a 9-0 Bulldog lead after only one inning.
Yang took care of the first two batters of the second but Whittier managed to put runners on first and third, threatening to score. Nonetheless, Brumbaugh caught the runner on third walking back to the base and threw down to Acosta for the stealthy pick-off play and the third out.
The Poets did add two runs on three hits in the top of the third, but Yang regrouped and struck out the final batter looking to stop their momentum in its tracks. After a lengthy rain delay, Yang got right back in it, rolling through the fourth and fifth innings, adding three more Ks.
The Maroon and Gray added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth on two hits, a Poet miscue, and a sacrifice lineout for a 12-3 score.
Junior pitcher Matt Crow (Lake Elsinore, CA) had taken over pitching duties in the top of the sixth and took care of business in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings with routine ground balls and four strikeouts to secure the save and the 12-3 victory.
Redlands (5-4, 2-0 SCIAC) welcomes Whitworth University (WA) to the Yard for an 11 a.m. game before finishing the conference series against Whittier at 2:30 p.m.