CLAREMONT, Calif. – The University of Redlands Baseball team (17-14, 9-10 SCIAC) erased a 6-1 deficit as they defeated Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS), 8-6, Friday afternoon at The Yard.
The Bulldogs fell behind 3-0 until Sebastian Mejorado (Oceanside, CA) singled to right on a ball that went over the right fielder's head landing on the warning track with the bases loaded. But only Luke De Vries (Irvine, CA) scored as the runners held to make sure it was not caught. Redlands would fail to further take advantage of the bases loaded situation as they ended the fourth down 3-1.
Now down 6-2 in the seventh, Gabriel Ceja (Long Beach, CA) sparked the U of R offense singling ahead of Will Daniels (Crestline, CA) who hit a pinch hit single up the middle. The Bulldogs continued to play station-to-station as De Vries' single loaded the bases.
Jared Anderson (Gilbert, AZ) then reached on a fielder's choice that he beat out to avoid a double play as Ceja scored on the initial hit. But pinch runner Sean McCance (Irvine, CA) was also able to score due to a throwing error by the second baseman who rushed the throw trying to turn the double play.
A ground out would end the inning, but Redlands cut the deficit in half as they went to the eighth inning down two, 6-4.
In the top half of the eighth Jakob Russell (Fontana, CA) gave up a one-out single, but he then picked up a ground ball that turned into a double play.
In the bottom half of the frame Cade McClelland (Mission Viejo, CA) came in to pinch hit to face the right hander for CMS and reached after getting hit by the pitch. CJ Brown (El Cajon, CA) also pinch hit and was hit as well putting two runners on.
That brought Ceja to the plate, and he singled through the five-six hole to drive in pinch runner Luke Hanson (Escondido, CA). Defensive replacement Mason Chetcuti (Redwood City, CA) tied the game on a single to shortstop and Brown came around from second as the Stags committed another error.
Pinch hitter Patrick Perez (Ontario, CA) was the third hit batter of the inning and proceeded De Vries who gave the Bulldogs their first lead, 8-6, on a two-run single.
In the ninth Perez came on and grabbed a fly out and strike out, but the Stags did not go away as they had a double into center field before drawing a walk to put the tying runners on base. Perez, though, would get the next CMS batter to ground out as he recorded his fourth save of the season.
De Vries and Ceja each had three-hit days. Ceja's three hits tied a career-high and Mejorado and De Vries each drove in two runs.
On the mound Russell got his third win as he shut the Stags out for three innings while striking out five.
Redlands will look for the series win in their doubleheader with CMS tomorrow, Saturday, April 13 in Azusa at Azusa Pacific University beginning at 11:00 a.m.
