REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands baseball team (9-11) held off Westcliff University, 9-8, on Saturday afternoon thanks to an eighth inning sacrifice fly by Ian Umscheid (Beaumont, CA).
It was all Bulldogs early on, leading 6-0 after four innings. Luke Hanson (Escondido, CA) got the scoring started with an RBI-single to left that plated Karlsen Drake (San Diego, CA). Umscheid then singled on a bunt and Sean McCance (Irvine, CA) scored on a throwing error by the pitcher to make it 2-0.
The third and fourth runs of the third inning came on a wild pitch that allowed Hanson to take the extra 90 feet before Nate Miller (San Jose, CA) singled up the middle for an early 4-0 advantage.
Hanson had his second RBI in as many innings as he tripled to right center. Umscheid had hit number two and his first RBI as Hanson once again crossed the plate.
Following a McCance sacrifice fly that scored Kanan Treece (Riverside, CA) in the bottom of the sixth, the Warriors came right back and got all seven runs back to tie the game. Two bases loaded walks and a wild pitch gave Westcliff three free runs.
Miller, though, came back with an infield single, and on an attempt to get Mason Chetcuti (Redwood City, CA) going to third, the shortstop threw the ball away and Chetcuti scored to reclaim the Bulldog lead, 8-7.
Westcliff tied it in the eighth with an RBI double before Umscheid hit a high fly ball to right that scored McCance after he tripled. Aziz Bishop (Baltimore, MD) then finished off the win with a save in a scoreless ninth.
Hanson and Umscheid reached base a total of six times with four RBI's and three runs scored from the top of the order. Miller and Drake also added a pair of hits, while McCance had a triple, two walks, and three runs scored out of the nine spot.
Joe Godoy (Los Angeles, CA) got the start and struck out two across three scoreless innings. Gavin Duenez (Redlands, CA) pitched around some walks to keep the Warriors scoreless through five. Tate Keddington (Boise, ID) and Bishop pitched clean sixth and ninth innings. Jayden Broderick (Castaic, CA) got his first collegiate win.
Redlands plays another single game tomorrow morning, Sunday, March 15 at 11:00 a.m. when they host Willamette University.
