The University of Redlands baseball team split a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) doubleheader with the University of La Verne on Saturday afternoon in La Verne. The Bulldogs fell, 4-5, in game one and rebounded with a 4-2 victory in the back end of the twinbill.

Redlands led, 4-2, heading into the bottom of the sixth in game one, but the Leopards scored three unanswered runs to close out the contest.

La Verne's Mike Surina stroked a two-run home run in the bottom of the second to give the Leopards the early advantage.

The Bulldogs relied on four hits and a sacrifice bunt to plate two in the top of the third to equalize the score.

Senior shortstop Zack Braband (Alameda, CA) ripped a double to right-centerfield to lead off the fifth, and senior centerfielder Will Wetmore (Santa Cruz, CA) moved him to third in the ensuing at bat with a sacrifice bunt. Braband then scored off of a single by junior leftfielder Brandon Owashi (San Diego, CA), giving the Maroon and Gray the go-ahead run.

Braband drove in a run in the sixth, which put Redlands up by two. La Verne's Jon-Michael Hattabaugh reached base on a double and eventually scored during the home half of the inning to cut the Bulldogs' lead in half.

The bottom of the seventh doomed the Maroon and Gray as two hits and a balk helped La Verne push across two runs, the last of which proved to be the eventual game-winner.

Freshman pitcher Kyle Hart (Burbank, CA) received the start on the mound, allowing three runs and seven hits over six innings. In relief, sophomore pitcher Josh Snyder (Denver, CO) and senior pitcher Jack Winters (Oradell, NJ) combined to surrender just two runs on two hits. Winters was shouldered with the loss.

Anthony Cerafice earned the win for the Leopards coming out of the bullpen.

Owashi and senior first baseman Michael Lessig (Fountain Hills, AZ) each notched two hits to energize the Bulldog offense.

Redlands collected seven hits in game two of the doubleheader en route to a 4-2 victory.

Sophomore second baseman Chase Tucker (Poway, CA) and sophomore rightfielder Marcus Himelhoch (Beaverton, OR) laced back-to-back doubles down the leftfield line to put Redlands up, 1-0, in the second. The team then capitalized on two defensive miscues by the Leopard defense in the third to mount a 3-0 lead.

Owashi's speed allowed him to steal second, advance to third on a groundout and score on a wild pitch in the fifth, which served as the Bulldogs' final run of the tilt.

La Verne chalked up two in the run column during the sixth to prevent a shutout.

Junior pitcher Derek Johnson (Canby, OR) supplied a virtuoso effort, striking out nine while allowing two runs in seven innings of work. Sophomore pitcher Brock Jacobo (Yuma, AZ) garnered the save, holding the Leopards to one hit over two innings.

Braband enjoyed a standout performance at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored. Owashi, Lessig and Tucker also produced multi-hit outings.

Redlands (6-2, 4-2 SCIAC) hosts the University of British Columbia (CAN) in a single-game, exhibition contest on Monday (Feb. 22) at 2 p.m.