March 2009 Archives
After three straight losses to regional foes, the University of Redlands softball team bounced back with a doubleheader sweep against the visiting Sagehens of Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action on Saturday. The Bulldogs relied on solid pitching and late-game rallies to take down the Sagehens by scores of 6-0 and 8-0, respectively.
In the opener, the Bulldogs gave up a run in the top of the fourth inning on an errant throw to home with the bases loaded. Redlands quickly made up for it with two quick outs to end the inning, as the defense tagged out a runner in a pickle play and then junior catcher Nicky Neumann (Fremont, CA) picked off another at third.
The Maroon and Gray then equalized the score with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning. Freshman third baseman Lindsay Henry (Lake Elsinore, CA) led off with a single down the right field line and then scored on a single by junior designated player Amanda Doeppel (Monrovia, CA).
Tied at one apiece, Redlands broke it open in the sixth inning with a five-run explosion. Doeppel led off with a double to right center. With freshman Molly Duran (Corona, CA) pinch running, freshman right fielder Jen Boschken (Davis, CA) connected on a single down the right field line to score Duran. The team then strung together four hits and took advantage of aggressive base-running with steals, wild pitches, and passed balls, to score four more runs. Freshman short stop Kai Masutani (Honolulu, HI), junior center fielder Kayla Peterson (San Jose, CA), sophomore first baseman Lizett Casillas (Pomona, CA), and senior second baseman Dory Baga (Aiea, HI) each recorded RBI-singles for the Bulldogs.
Junior pitcher Olivia Ellis (Colfax, CA) scattered three hits and struck out seven batters in seven innings of work, earning her 11th win and second shutout of the season.
During the nightcap, Redlands tallied 10 hits and scored eight runs in six innings while holding the Sagehens to just three hits and no runs.
The Bulldogs initiated the scoring in the bottom of the first inning as Baga provided a sacrifice fly to score Neumann, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.
During the third inning, the Maroon and Gray added two runs and then followed that up with three more in the fifth. Redlands solidified its lead with two runs in the sixth, gaining the win by the eight-run-rule.
Doeppel pitched for the Bulldogs, striking out three batters and scattering three hits. She also went 3-for-3 from the plate with one RBI and one run scored.
With a 10-2 SCIAC record, Redlands (13-8, 10-2) sits atop the conference standings. The Bulldogs welcome non-conference opponent Williams College (MA) to the "Field of Dreams" on Thursday for a 2 p.m. doubleheader.
The No. 19 University of Redlands baseball team rebounded from its loss against Rutgers University-Newark (NJ) from earlier in the afternoon, defeating Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, 11-4, in non-conference action at The Yard on Sunday.
With the win, Head Coach Scott Laverty earned his 200th victory at the helm of the Bulldog baseball program and became just the third coach in the team's history to accomplish that feat. Laverty won his first game on Feb. 11, 2000 by a 13-1 score against Whittier College. Jeff Tape '00 earned the winning decision on the mound in Laverty's first triumph as head coach.
Both teams scored early as Claremont-Mudd-Scripps posted one run on no hits and two errors in the first while Redlands responded with an RBI single by senior infielder Tony Stutevoss (Portland, OR) in the bottom of the inning.
Redlands took a 2-1 lead due to sloppy play by the Stag infield. Stutevoss singled through the right side to start out the inning, but he ended up advancing to second on an error by the pitcher on a failed pickoff attempt and went home on an erroneous throw by the first baseman.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps equaled the score in the sixth, but the Bulldogs emerged victorious in the end due in large part to a productive offense in the bottom in the inning.
Senior utility player Will Wetmore (Santa Cruz, CA) doubled to right field with one out, and senior catcher Brett Sandford (Santa Barbara, CA) walked, giving the Bulldogs two men on board. Senior pitcher/infielder Evan Dunn (Portland, OR) grounded out and advanced the two runners, giving Redlands what looked like a dreary situation with two outs. The scoring started when junior shortstop Zack Braband (Alameda, CA) plated Sandford and Dunn with a double to right center, and Braband advanced to third on a passed ball in the ensuing at bat. Senior outfielder/catcher Kyle Rizzo (Redlands, CA) brought in Braband with a single through the right side and then stole second while Stutevoss was at bat. Stutevoss singled to third, which moved Rizzo over, and he lucked out with a botched catch in a steal attempt. Junior catcher Jefre Johnson (Canby, OR) cleared the bases with a single to centerfield, and senior outfielder Cory Vane (Simi Valley, CA) continued the offensive outburst with a single to third. Finally, senior outfielder Matt Goldstein (Lincoln, CA) closed out the fireworks with an RBI triple that scored Johnson and Vane.
The Stags scored once more in the top of the seventh, but the Bulldogs one-upped their opponent with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Dunn reached on an error by the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps shortstop and eventually stole second and third before scoring on a passed ball. Rizzo, who walked after Dunn stole second, came home via Stutevoss in the following at bat.
Rizzo scored an impressive three runs on one hit and two walks and notched one RBI. Batting a solid 4-for-5, Stutevoss fortified the offense with two runs and two RBI. Vane stretched his hitting streak to 12 consecutive games with a 2-for-5 showing while Braband also recorded a multi-hit game.
Junior pitcher/infielder Michael Lessig (Fountain Hills, AZ) pitched solidly for seven full innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out seven. Senior pitcher Kevin Bissell (Orange, CA) and sophomore pitcher Derek Johnson (Canby, OR) held the lead in relief, combining for one strikeout and one surrendered earned run. The Stags' Kyle Shipley shouldered the loss.
Redlands (15-6) continues on with Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play on Friday when it hosts red-hot Pomona-Pitzer Colleges at 3 p.m.
Playing a vital role in the Bulldogs' two victories over the Regals, Peterson went 4-for-5 for an .800 batting average to go along with a slugging percentage of 1.600 and an on-base mark of .833. She was perfect in the outfield with one putout. During the 13-5 win in the first game, she was a home run short of the cycle but batted in a career-high six runs while crossing the plate once.
The male winner for last week was Claremont-Mudd-Scripps' Max Rose, a pitcher/outfielder for the Stag baseball team.
The SCIAC Sports Information Directors nominate and vote on the athletes of the week every Tuesday.
