LA VERNE, Calif. – The University of Redlands Baseball team (27-15) and the University of La Verne played for the fourth time in seven days with the Leopards coming away with the 4-3 win in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Tournament Thursday afternoon.
During their recent 5-1 run, the Bulldogs scored first in four of the six games with a 4-0 record in those contests. That early success did not carry over into Thursday as the Leopards scored three times in the first, two of which were unearned.
2nd Team All-SCIAC selection Mark Kirkland (Redlands, CA) started off the second inning with a single up the middle before moving up to second on a passed ball and then to third on a wild pitch. After a walk to Ian Umscheid (Beaumont, CA) Kirkland would come in on another wild pitch putting UR on the scoreboard. Joe Godoy (Los Angeles, CA) then shut down the La Verne offense through the sixth to give the offense a chance at a comeback.
The second of the three Bulldog runs needed came in the top of the sixth when Kirkland singled through the right side driving in SCIAC Newcomer of the Year Rylan Morris (Fullerton, CA) who reached earlier on a single to left before stealing second to get into scoring position making it a one-run deficit, 3-2.
Godoy finished with 6.1 innings thrown and only two earned runs given up. He was relieved by Tanner Currier (Brawley, CA) in the seventh with one runner on, unfortunately that run would come around and score what would be the eventual game-winning run.
Leading off the eighth inning Morris added another hit, this time it left the yard to right field for a solo home run that pulled the run allowed in the previous half inning back. With one out Kirkland singled to right and advanced into scoring position on a throwing error. He would be stranded there, however, as the following hitters struck out and grounded out in what was the final scoring opportunity as no one reached base in the ninth.
The Bulldogs managed just six hits with five of them coming from Morris and Kirkland. All three of the runs scored and both RBI's also were recorded by the pair.
On the mound Godoy finished with seven strikeouts across 6.1 innings. Currier pitched a scoreless final 1.2 innings.
The Bulldogs will play an elimination game at Pomona-Pitzer Friday afternoon, May 9 at 3:00 p.m. The Bulldogs won the regular season series 2-1 and won their lone match-up in Claremont.
