LA VERNE, Calif. – The University of Redlands Baseball team dropped a low-scoring extra inning game to the University of La Verne 5-4 Friday afternoon. The Bulldogs scored twice in the top of the 11th but allowed three in the bottom half of the frame after not allowing a run since the fourth. With the loss the Bulldogs are 6-4, 2-2 SCIAC.
After allowing a run in the bottom half of the first inning, the Bulldogs evened the score at one in their at bats in the second thanks to an RBI-single to right field from Omar Barraza (San Mateo, CA) that scored Max Smyley (Sarasota, FL), who reached earlier with a base hit to left.
The Bulldogs fell behind 2-1 in the fourth after a Leopard RBI-triple, but got that run back in the sixth thanks to Barraza coming up clutch for a second time with an RBI-single through the left side, scoring Jonah Advincula (Santa Clara, CA).
Over the next four innings the game remained deadlocked at 2-2 as a pitchers dual continued. Then in the 11th it looked like the Bulldogs would come away with the win as they broke through for a pair of runs in their at bats going in front 4-2. Max Clark (Fontana, CA) led off the inning with a double to left field, Payton Walsh (Santa Ana, CA) then reached on a fielders choice moving Clark over to third and Jared Anderson (Gilbert, AZ) loaded the bases with a walk. After a passed ball that scored one Luke De Vries (Irvine, CA) then stepped in and sent a sacrifice fly to center that extended the advantage to two.
But this lead wouldn't hold as La Verne would put together a rally in their final at bats with the first Leo reaching via an error before a double to left center, a triple down the right field line and a walk-off single to center propelled ULV to the come from behind victory.
The Bulldogs managed 11 hits with two being for extra-bases. Nine different Bulldogs reached base with Mark Kirkland (Redlands, CA | 3-for-6), Smyley (2-for-4 with a walk), and Barraza (2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs) all reaching multiple times.
Andrew Rueter (San Diego, CA) started and got the no decision and threw his best game of the season with two runs allowed on six hits across 5.1 innings. Jakob Russell (Fontana, CA) threw 1.2 scoreless innings in relief and Jack Brown (San Diego, CA) added two scoreless innings to help send the game to extra innings.
Redlands will host the Leopards for the second and third games of the series in a doubleheader tomorrow, Saturday, March 5 at The Yard with first pitches slated for 11:00am and 2:30pm.