The University of Redlands baseball team completed a weekend series sweep over Caltech on Saturday in Pasadena, downing the Beavers twice by matching finals of 28-3 in a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) doubleheader. Both bouts ended in seven innings based on a predetermined agreement.

Neither game was ever in doubt as Redlands plated runs in every inning on the afternoon.

The Maroon and Gray equaled the program-record for hits in a single game against the Beavers in game one, tapping the Caltech pitching staff for 33. The Bulldogs also collected 33 hits against Occidental College on March 2, 2002 and Rutgers University-Newark (NJ) on March 14, 2010.

Redlands hopped out to a 4-0 lead early and then pushed across five in the second, six in the third and five in the fourth before Caltech scored its first run in the bottom of the fourth. The Bulldogs stuffed the run column again in the fifth and sixth, while the Beavers answered with a two-run sixth. Redlands spelled out its final tally with three in the seventh.

Junior rightfielder Nate Carlson (Portland, OR) hit for the cycle for the second time this year, going 4-for-6 with six RBI and six runs scored. Carlson also cycled on March 19 against the University of Puget Sound (WA). Freshman outfielder designated hitter Jay Baumgardner (Scottsdale, AZ) pounded out five hits in seven at bats, adding five RBI and four runs scored. Sophomore first baseman Jon Cavender (Rancho Cucamonga, CA), sophomore leftfielder Marcus Himelhoch (Beaverton, OR) and sophomore third baseman Cameron Lowe (Olympia, WA) all racked up four hits to power the Redlands attack.

Both Blaine Matulevich and Eric Schropp led the Beavers at the dish with 2-for-4 efforts.

On the hill for the Maroon and Gray, freshman pitcher Kyle Hart (Burbank, CA) worked three innings and yielded just one hit and one walk while striking out four. Sophomore pitcher Brock Jacobo (Yuma, AZ) and senior pitcher Jack Winters (Oradell, NJ) tossed the final three frames in relief and combined to allow three runs off eight hits.

Rob Rosenberg shouldered the loss for Caltech, accounting for 20 of Redlands' 28 runs in four innings of action. David Carrega surrendered eight runs in relief.

The Bulldogs fared equally as well in the nightcap, winning by the same final as the twinbill's front end. Every starting field player for Redlands had a hit and an RBI with the exception of graduate student designated hitter Matt Hughes (Westminster, CA). Despite this fact, Hughes still enjoyed a stellar contest offensively, going 4-for-7 with five runs scored.

Senior shortstop Zack Braband (Alameda, CA) and graduate student catcher Brett Sandford (Santa Barbara, CA) hit back-to-back triples in the top of the first, setting the tone early. Redlands put up two in the first and eight in the second, but Caltech rallied for a three-run third to cut the lead to seven. The Bulldogs' 18 unanswered runs to close the game, however, would bury Caltech and cap another lopsided affair.

Hughes and Cavender each batted 4-for-7, while Sandford scored in five of his seven plate appearances. Braband and Sanford each ended the game with two triples.

The Beavers received a two-hit performance from their catcher, Jeff Kowalski.

Sophomore pitcher Josh Snyder (Denver, CO) drew the start on the bump for the Maroon and Gray and yielded three runs and scattered five hits in three innings of duty. Snyder also held the game-high in strikeouts at four. Sophomore pitchers Adam Byrd (Bullhead City, AZ) and Jeff Cashmer (Cherry Valley, CA) provided four shutout innings in relief.

Mike Gherini absorbed the loss, allowing 20 runs on 19 hits and two walks.

The Bulldogs sit in prime position to make a late-season push toward earning a bid into the NCAA Championships. Despite its successes thus far, the team has a long road yet to go, as it must face Whittier College and Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in weekend three-game sets before taking on each of the SCIAC squads once more. The Bulldogs finish their regular season against regional rival Chapman University.

Redlands (21-3, 13-2 SCIAC) travels to Whittier on Friday (April 2) for a 3 p.m. SCIAC game against Whittier. The Bulldogs then entertain the Poets in an 11 a.m. doubleheader on Saturday (April 3).