The University of Redlands baseball team kicked off the annual California Invitational on Thursday with an opportunity to avenge an earlier loss to Rutgers-Newark (NJ) while halting their two-game skid.  A solid offensive start and consistent defense helped the Bulldogs earn a comfortable lead through the eighth inning but a collapse in pitching forced an extra inning and allowed the Scarlet Raiders to steal the victory by a score of 6-5.

Due to the tournament style of play, the Bulldogs competed as the visiting team.  Nonetheless, Redlands took control of the game by scoring four runs over the first three innings.  In the third, the Bulldogs looked to graduate student first baseman Brian Schumaker (Encinitas, CA) and junior center fielder Matt Goldstein (Lincoln, CA) to provide RBI-doubles.  In addition, Goldstein then took advantage of a Rutgers error to score the team’s third run of the inning.  With the score at 4-2, the Bulldog settled into a groove as sophomore pitcher Mike McCarthy (Brentwood, CA) scattered a total of six hits while striking out six.  After junior left fielder Kyle Rizzo (Redlands, CA) batted in an insurance run in the eighth, McCarthy left the game in a seemingly sure-win situation. 

Unfortunately, Redlands struggled to close out the game, walking in the tying run to send the game to the 10th.  In the lone extra inning, the Bulldog bats went quiet in the top half as junior right fielder Corey Vane (Simi Valley, CA) connected on the only hit.  After sitting down the first two Rutgers-Newark batters, a controversial balk call put the Scarlet Raiders in scoring position.  The team later brought home the winning run on a walk-off single, handing a tough loss to the Bulldogs.

Overall, Schumaker, Goldstein, senior designated hitter Luke Wetmore (Santa Cruz, CA), and Rizzo provided one RBI apiece for Redlands.

Redlands baseball (14-8, 4-2 SCIAC) continues the California Invitational on Friday at 2:30 p.m. against Eastern Connecticut State University.  Saturday’s schedule wraps up the event as the Bulldogs face Franklin & Marshall College (PA) at 10 a.m. and then Wesleyan University (CT) at 2:30 p.m.