The University of Redlands baseball team split its first home
doubleheader of the season against Pacific Lutheran University (WA)
on Saturday, winning its first game, 4-0, before falling just short
in the second contest, 5-7.
Senior pitcher/first baseman Nolan Nicholson (Fullerton, CA) took
the hill in the first bout, pitching a complete-game shutout. In
nine innings of work, he allowed just four hits while striking out
four.
The Bulldogs hit four extra-base knocks, which included two triples
by senior outfielder Matt Goldstein (Lincoln, CA), a triple by
graduate student second baseman Tom Ledda (Daly City, CA) and a
double by sophomore first baseman Manny Cardeiro (San Diego,
CA).
Ledda’s lone hit of the game came at an opportune time as he
drove in two runs with a bases-clearing triple in the seventh.
Both senior infielder Tony Stutevoss (Portland, OR) and Cardeiro
exuded consistency at the plate as each batted 3-for-4.
Game two featured a valiant comeback in the eighth inning, which
pulled the Bulldogs within one of the Lutes.
Down 6-2, Redlands loaded up the bases on a Cardeiro single, a
senior outfielder Jordan Snider (Temecula, CA) walk and a Stutevoss
single, which set up an RBI walk for junior shortstop Zack Braband
(Alameda, CA). That gave Pacific Lutheran’s relief pitcher
that entered the game at the inning’s beginning an early
exit, and senior pitcher/infielder Evan Dunn (Portland, OR) took
advantage of the new pitcher by knocking a single into right-center
field. Dunn’s single scored Stutevoss and Snider and pumped
life back into the Bulldogs’ cause.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Maroon and Gray recorded a hit, but
the effort came up just short as Pacific Lutheran’s southpaw
reliever Bret Handy closed out the game successfully.
Head Coach Scott Laverty used five pitchers in the second matchup,
and the four pitchers that entered in relief allowed just two
earned runs on four hits.
Redlands (1-2) hosts the University of British Columbia tomorrow in
an exhibition game. The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 1
p.m.