CLAREMONT, Calif. – The big inning plagued the University of Redlands Baseball team (7-9, 2-7 SCIAC) in their sweep to Pomona-Pitzer as they allowed five innings where the Sagehens scored at least four runs in the three-game series.
In Game 1 of the doubleheader the Bulldogs led 2-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth before allowing 10 runs and falling 11-6. Then in Game 2 they allowed 13 in the second inning and five in the third inning as they trailed by 18, 19-1, before losing 20-12.
Game 1 (L, 11-6)
Ian Umscheid (Beaumont, CA) provided early run support for starter Joe Godoy (Commerce, CA) as he singled through the left side scoring Tyler Preece (Bellevue, WA) and Jared Anderson (Gilbert, AZ) for a 2-0 lead.
Godoy then threw 4.1 scoreless innings until the Sagehens got one back in the fifth. He would be relieved by Jakob Russell (Fontana, CA) in the sixth with one on and one out before Russell ended the frame with the Bulldogs up 2-1.
In the eighth it all fell apart as Pomona-Pitzer went in front after hitting a two-run shot only two batters in as they scored 10 times on eight hits to take an 11-2 lead.
Redlands continued to battle in the ninth as Luke De Vries (Irvine, CA) got on base after being hit. Anderson and Preece then singled followed by RBI-base knocks by Nathan Miller (San Jose, CA) and Umscheid. The sixth run of the game and third of the inning came on a base hit by Jake Burgess (Riverside, CA), but this would be the final run scored as the game would end on a groundout to short.
The Bulldogs did hit Sagehen starter Hannoh Seo, who is the reigning Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Pitcher of the Week, allowing him to go only five innings. Russel was charged with the loss after throwing 2.1 Innings giving up six runs on seven hits, while striking out three. He drops to 1-1 on the season. De Vries finished 3-for-4 with a run scored, Preece was 3-for-5 scoring twice, Miller was 3-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored and a walk, Umscheid was 2-for-3 with three RBI's and a walk and Anderson was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Game 2 (L, 20-12)
In another end-of-series slugfest the Bulldogs allowed 19 unanswered runs in the first three innings before scoring 11 unanswered from the fourth through the top of the seventh.
The first run for the Maroon and Grey came off an RBI groundout by Preece in the first as De Vries scored. The next offensive outburst was the fourth when Will Daniels (Crestline, CA) had a pinch hit homerun to right center plating Caesar Correa (Redlands, CA) and Kethan Efron (Henderson, NV).
An inning later in the fifth Cade McClelland (Mission Viejo, CA) added a three-run shot, this one went to right this time bringing in Anderson and Gabriel Ceja (Long Beach, CA).
McClelland started the scoring in a three-run sixth with an infield single. The second and third runs came on a wild pitch and another ground out, this time from CJ Brown (El Cajon, CA).
The lone bright spot on the mound for Redlands was Patrick Perez (Ontario, CA) who threw three scoreless innings as the fifth guy out of the bullpen.
McClelland finished with a career-high five RBI's going 3-for-3 at the plate along with scoring two runs, off the bench no less. Lucas Romero (Corona, CA) recorded his first collegiate hit.Ceja was 3-for-3 scoring three times, Anderson was 2-for-4 scoring twice and De Vries was 1-for-2 with a run scored. Nathan Buchan (Mercer Island, WA) was charged with the loss lasting only 1.1 Innings giving up seven runs on five hits. He drops to 2-2 on the season.
Redlands will get back out there for their final non-conference home game of the season as they host Montclair State University on Tuesday, March 12 at 2:00 p.m.
