WHITTIER, Calif. – The University of Redlands Baseball team (2-1, 2-1 SCIAC) came away with the doubleheader sweep on the road at Whittier College Saturday picking up an 8-2 win in Game 1 before cruising 12-5 to take the series against the Poets.
Game 1 (W, 8-2)
The Bulldogs opened the game with a Luke De Vries (Irvine, CA) walk and then got singles from Tyler Preece (Bellevue, WA) and Mark Kirkland (Redlands, CA) to make it 1-0. Sebastian Mejorado (Oceanside, CA) then pushed the lead to 2-0 on a sacrifice fly.
Bulldog starter Erik Radder (San Diego, CA) worked around a two-out triple in his debut as he got the Bulldog offensive back to the plate.
After a strikeout to begin the second inning, Jake Burgess (Riverside, CA) doubled that sparked five-straight batters to reach base. De Vries' single to left center made it 3-0 and Preece's single up the middle made it 4-0.
Kirkland walked to load the bases in front of Mejorado who got his second RBI of the day. Then with two outs, Mason Chetcuti (Redwood City, CA) was hit with the bases loaded to make it 6-0 and Nate Miller (San Jose, CA) doubled home Mejorado and Kirkland moving the score to 8-0 after two innings.
Those eight runs would be all Redlands needed as Radder went 6.2 innings in his debut with nine strikeouts and only one run allowed. Phillip Economos (Huntington Beach, CA) and Brett Edwards (Santa Monica, CA) finished off the last 2.1 innings giving up just one run on three hits.
De Vries reached base four times finishing 2-for-3 with two runs score and an RBI. Preece and Kirkland reached three times each, Preece going 3-for-5 scoring twice and driving in another, while Kirkland was 2-for-4 scoring once, driving in one and walking. Mejorado and Miller had two RBI's as well.
Game 2: (W, 12-5)
In the rubber match of the series Mejorado added his third RBI of the day as he doubled in Preece putting UR on top 1-0 in the first. The Poets, however, responded with a three-run bottom half of the inning.
In the second Miller porched one to right field before Kirkland reclaimed the Redlands lead, 4-3, on a two-run double that plated Burgess and Kaiya Saito (Bellevue, WA).
Starter Nathan Buchan (Mercer Island, WA) was able to find his rhythm on the mound after the tough first as he held Whittier off the board through the seventh inning.
In the next half inning in the eighth, Miller added an insurance run with a single through the left side that made it 5-3 Bulldogs.
After Buchan again shut down the Poets in the eighth, the Bulldogs put the game away with a seven-run ninth. During the frame Mejorado drove in two, Gabriel Ceja (Long Beach, CA) singled home Kirkland, Miller made it 10-3 with a single, and Saito doubled Chetcuti and Miller home.
Buchan would pick up the win and Mejorado and Miller each had posted three RBI's, while Saito and Miller added three hits apiece.
The Bulldogs will now host No. 10 East Texas Baptist University on Tuesday, February 11 at The Yard with first pitch set for 2:00 p.m.
