REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Baseball team opened up 2022 Sunday with a lopsided 15-5 win over the University of Puget Sound.
The Bulldogs scored nine runs across the first two innings, combined for 15 hits and hit four home runs with two coming from senior Max Smyley (Sarasota, FL) as they move to 1-0, 0-0 SCIAC.
Jared Anderson (Gilbert, AZ) and Jonah Advincula (Santa Clara, CA) started off the big 1st Inning for the Maroon and Grey with a double and a single putting runners on the corners. Junior Max Clark (Fontana, CA) then stepped in and blasted a three-run shot down the left field line that cleared the bases putting UR on top 3-0. After a pair of strikeouts, Smyley would reach with a base hit and would be brought in thanks to an Omar Barraza (San Mateo, CA) triple that moved the deficit to 4-0.
In the 2nd Inning the Bulldogs added to their lead bringing across five runs on four hits. Anderson and Advincula started the offense for the second time with a single and a walk and were followed by a Clark single that drove in one and a Mark Kirkland (Redlands, CA) double to right center that brought in another. With the score 6-0, Smyley then stepped in and emptied the bases with a homerun to left center extending the score to 9-0.
After two scoreless innings in the third and fourth the Loggers finally found their offense in the top half of the 5th with a four spot capitalizing on two UR miscues and totaling four hits. But the bulldogs got two of those runs back in the bottom half of the frame thanks to senior Payton Walsh (Santa Ana, CA) who provided a two-out single through the right side scoring Barraza and Matthew Brumbaugh (Chula Vista, CA).
In the 6th Inning the Maroon and Grey put the game away with another four runs, coming on a pair of deep shots. The first off the bat of Advincula who sent a solo bomb to deep right that led off the inning. After another Kirkland double and a single from Brumbaugh that put two runners on, Smyley stepped in and brought them both around blasting his second homerun of the game to left center moving the deficit to 15-4.
Andrew Rueter (San Diego, CA) started the game for the Bulldogs and threw three scoreless innings with four strikeouts. Tyler Reiter (San Diego, CA) and first-year James Boone (Sammamish, WA), who made his collegiate debut, went two scoreless innings to close the game out, while Cameron Kundig (Redlands, CA) picked up the relief win going two innings, giving up four runs (one earned) with three strikeouts.
Smyley's two home runs tie him with several players for the fourth most in a single game in school history. Smyley was 3-for-5 with five RBIs and three runs scored. Kirkland was 2-for-4, with four RBIs, and two runs scored, while Anderson, Advincula, and Brumbaugh each added multi-hit games.
The Bulldogs struck out 11 batters on the day, had eight extra-base hits (XBH), four home runs, had seven different players with RBIs, and drew four walks.
Redlands opens up a four-game home stand this weekend, February 11-13 against Northwest Conference opponent Willamette University. A single game will take place on Friday, February 11 (2:30pm), a doubleheader on Saturday, February 12 (11am/2:30pm), and a single game on Super Bowl Sunday, February 13 (11:00am).
