REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Baseball team (6-6, 2-3) fell behind 6-0 to Nebraska Wesleyan University (NWU) as their five runs in the sixth through eighth innings were not enough as they lost at The Yard 6-5 Monday afternoon.
The Bulldogs had a great chance to open the scoring in the first after Luke De Vries (Irvine, CA) singled up the middle and Esteban Nakashima (Riverside, CA) reached after being hit by a pitch, but the next three hitters were retired in order to end the threat.
In the second the Prairie Wolves scored four times with three of the four runs coming on plays where there were no hits. Then in the fourth and fifth NWU added a run in each inning thanks to a pair of solo home runs that pushed the score to 6-0.
The Bulldogs started chipping away at the deficit with a run in the sixth scored by Max Clark (Fontana, CA) and then Jake Burgess (Riverside, CA) who singled to left bringing home Cade McClelland (Mission Viejo, CA) to make it a 6-2 game.
Sebastian Mejorado (Oceanside, CA) got Redlands' third run on a double down the left field line, but was thrown out trying to advance to third. Jared Anderson (Gilbert, AZ) was able to come in to score on the hit.
In the eighth Sean McCance (Irvine, CA) hit a pinch hit home run to left field to draw the Bulldogs within two, 6-4. A few batters later with Will Cell (Seattle, WA) standing at second base after a fielder's choice and stolen base, De Vries was able to bring him around with a single up the middle making it a one-run game for the first time since the top of the second.
Redlands then had the tying run at third and the go-ahead run at second following an error by the Prairie Wolves but both runners, though, would be stranded as UR headed to the ninth.
Jack Brown (San Diego, CA) worked around a one-out walk and an error to retire the side thanks to a double play.
Clark opened the bottom half of the ninth with a single to center and then advanced to second on an error by the center fielder. The next three batters would strand him though with a pair of strikeouts and a lineout to second.
After a slow first half of the game on the mound, Julian Zuniga (San Diego, CA) came on in relief and threw three innings, allowing only one hit and striking out four Prairie Wolves. First-year Kethan Efron (Henderson, NV) earned his second start of the season and despite his first loss went 5.0 Innings giving up six runs on five hits, while striking out five.
Offensively De Vries reached base four times with a game-high three hits and a walk. Burgess had a hit, RBI, and a pair of walks as the Bulldogs out hit Nebraska Wesleyan 10-to-6.
The Bulldogs will be off until they continue Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play at California Lutheran University this Saturday, March 11 with game times set for 11:00am and 2:00pm. On Sunday, March 12 Redlands will host the Kingsmen for a single game at The Yard with first pitch set for noon.