REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Baseball team (4-1, 2-1 SCIAC) continued their strong start to 2025 with a 10-8 win over Luther College Friday afternoon at The Yard.

The day got off to a rough start after a two-run home run in the first from the Norse, but the Bulldog offense responded with a four-run bottom half of the inning.

Mark Kirkland (Redlands, CA) got the scoring started when he plated Luke De Vries (Irvine, CA) on a sacrifice fly. Sebastian Mejorado (Oceanside, CA) then tied the game with an RBI-single that brought around Tyler Preece (Bellevue, WA). Runs three and four came off a single by Rylan Morris (Fullerton, CA) and Mejorado would come in on a balk putting UR on top 4-2 after one.  

The Norse continued their strong offensive start in the second when they came back to tie and take the lead, 5-4. Kirkland, though, came up and doubled off the wall in right center to tie the game at five in the bottom half.

Jake Burgess (Riverside, CA) then reclaimed the lead in the third for the Maroon and Grey with a single up the middle that hit off the pitcher's glove as Nate Miller (San Jose, CA) crossed the plate moving the score to 6-5.  

After failing to score in the fifth and sixth Preece would step in and hit the eventual game-winning home run as he put the Bulldogs ahead, 7-6, with a solo shot to left.

Two innings later Redlands got three huge insurance runs thanks to a Preece RBI-single and a two-run home run for Kirkland.

Those runs were important because Luther scored two times in the ninth before Brett Edwards (Santa Monica, CA) came picking up a game-ending double play for the save.

Tanner Currier (Drwaley, CA) got the win after going 3.1 innings. Joe Godoy (Commerce, CA) got the start and struck out five batters across five innings.

The top three in the order, De Vries, Preece, and Kirkland, combined for eight hits, six RBI's, two walks, and three stolen bases.

The series comes to an end with a doubleheader tomorrow, Saturday, February 15 beginning at 11 a.m. at The Yard.