Junior designated hitter Marcus Himelhoch (Portland, OR) drove in a team-best four runs in the University of Redlands baseball team's 10-8 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) victory over the first-place Leopards of the University of La Verne on Monday at The Yard.

Senior southpaw Adam Byrd (Bullhead City, AZ) earned the win after pitching 6.0 innings, surrendering five runs, four of which were earned, on seven hits. The Bulldog offense gave Byrd a three-run lead to work by tallying a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and adding another in the second.

After La Verne pushed across two, the Maroon and Gray exploded for a six-run fourth inning, which was highlighted by a bases-clearing double down the left-field line by Himelhoch.

The Leopards cut the Bulldogs' lead to three following the seventh inning with a three-spot of their own.

However, Redlands extended its advantage to four, 10-4, after senior shortstop Chase Tucker (Poway, CA) roped a one-out double down the left-field line and scored on a single through the right side by junior first baseman Eliot Smith (West Linn, OR).

La Verne refused to back down, tacking on another two runs in the top of the eighth. But Smith took the mound and shut down the Leopards in 1.2 innings of work, earning the save for the Bulldogs.

Tucker finished the game with two hits in four at-bats and two runs scored, while Smith went 1-for-4 at the plate with one RBI and one run scored.  Freshman catcher Sean McMillan (Redwood City, CA) posted a 2-for-5 effort with a pair of runs batted in for the Maroon and Gray.

Senior pitcher Anthony Cerafice suffered the loss after tossing 3.1 innings and allowing six runs, including three earned, on six hits.

Redlands returns to The Yard on Saturday, April 21, for a 4 p.m. SCIAC match-up against Whittier College.