The University of Redlands baseball team welcomed the No. 24 Cal Lutheran Kingsmen to the Yard for a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) doubleheader on a warm Saturday afternoon. The team fell just slightly in game one, 6-7, before regrouping to get a solid, 4-1 victory in the nightcap.
Although the Kingsmen managed five runs over the first two innings, the Bulldogs slowly chipped away at the deficit starting with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Junior first baseman Mark Kirkland (Redlands, CA) led off with a triple deep to centerfield. He was sent home on senior right fielder Cal Bridges (Fremont, CA) double to jump on the board. Junior shortstop Max Smyley (Sarasota, FL) followed that up with a single that sent Bridges all the way home from second for a 2-5 score after two.
With the first two innings behind him, junior pitcher Andrew Rueter (San Diego, CA) settled in going three up, three down in the third, fifth, and sixth innings including four strikeouts for a nice, refocused effort.
The Bulldogs picked up their ace by adding four runs in the fifth inning and overtaking the lead, 6-5. After two outs, sophomore left fielder Jonah Advincula (Santa Clara, CA) ripped a double to right field and advanced to third on a throwing error by the right fielder. The ball sailed into open space and with speed on the basepaths, Advincula made it all the way home on the play. Redlands added three more on two hits and three CLU errors for a 6-5 advantage.
However, the Kingsmen tacked on two more in the top of the seventh to eventually hand the Bulldogs a tough, 6-7, loss.
The Maroon and Gray regrouped during the break for four early runs on seven hits and a solid, 4-1 victory.
Junior pitcher Cameron Kundig (Redlands, CA) took the mound for game two and made quick work of the first three CLU batters.
The Redlands offense wasted no time adding a run in the bottom of the first. With Advincula on second, senior designated hitter Anthony Acosta (Simi Valley, CA) traded places with him on an RBI double to right for a 1-0 advantage.
Kundig continued to deal through the second, only facing three hitters and securing two Ks to put the bats back in Redlands hands quickly.
The Bulldogs took advantage of three more Kingsmen errors in the bottom of the second and tacked on two runs. Junior center fielder Payton Walsh (Santa Ana, CA) laced a single through the right side for two RBI and a 3-0 Bulldog lead.
Similar to the first and second, Kundig remained laser-focused to go three up, three down in the third as well.
Although Cal Lutheran scored a run in the top of the fourth, sophomore catcher Omar Barraza (San Mateo, CA) took a trip around the bases, matching the run in the bottom of that inning for a 4-1 Redlands advantage.
Both pitchers cruised through the respective lineups in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings.
Although the Kingsmen made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded, Bridges took the mound and secured the three outs with two strikeouts and a flyout to hold onto the solid, 4-1 win.
Kundig was credited with the win and Bridges the save, as the two combined for six strikeouts over nine innings.
The Bulldogs (2-5, 2-3 SCIAC) head to Cal Lutheran tomorrow, May 2, for the single-game series finale at 1 p.m. in Thousand Oaks.