TUCSON, AZ – The University of Redlands Baseball team wrapped up their three-day trip to Arizona for the Tucson Cactus Classic Sunday with an 11-6 win over Wesleyan (CT).
The Bulldogs finish the classic going 3-1 and improve to 9-7, 2-4 SCIAC.
It was a strong start for the Maroon and Grey putting up nine runs over the first five innings to lead 9-1. After giving up a four-spot in the top half of the 7th UR was able to tack on insurance runs in the 7th and 8th, which helped them hold on for the five-run victory.
Ryan Rhoades (San Diego, CA) picked up his first win on the season going 5.0 Innings, giving up just one run on three hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Matthew Brumbaugh (Chula Vista, CA) got the scoring started in the opening at-bats for Redlands with a double that plated Mark Kirkland (Redlands, CA) and Jonah Advincula (Santa Clara, CA). Kirkland then delivered in his second at-bat with a two-out single that scored Payton Walsh (Santa Ana, CA) and Jake Burgess (Riverside, CA).
But Redlands continued to pour it on with another two runs in the 4th coming on two outs. After an error that put Walsh on and a walk to Advincula, Kirkland stepped in and drove in his third run of the game, right in front of a passed ball that brought in another extending the lead to 6-0. After giving up one in the top half of the 5th, the Bulldogs answered with a three spot in their next at-bats, capitalizing on two hits and two Wesleyan errors. This moved the score to 9-1 and the Maroon and Grey didn't look back as Advincula and Burgess would drive in another two in the 7th and 8th that put the game out of reach.
Kirkland was 2-for-4 (Run & 3 RBI's), Omar Barraza (San Mateo, CA) went 2-for-5 (2 runs), Advincula was 2-for-3 (2 Runs & RBI), and Walsh was 1-for-4 (3 Runs).
Redlands returns to the diamond this Saturday, March 19 with a road non-conference bout with Occidental College beginning at 3:00pm.