REDLANDS, Ca. – The Spalding University baseball team split their games Saturday, falling to Ithaca 2-0 in the 2:00 p.m. game, but bounced back to beat University of Redlands, 14-9.
An error filled first inning allowed two Ithaca runs and that was enough to earn the victory. Spalding had opportunities, but was unable to capitalize stranding 11 runners on base.
Spalding was held to five hits for the game, and no Eagle finished with more than one hit. However, three finished with extra base hits, Nic Chaffin drove a triple to center field in the fifth inning, while
Blake Patterson and
Korie Vire each hit a double.
Cole Slamko (0-1) took the loss, allowing two runs, one earned on eight hits while striking out two.
Opposite of the first game, the Golden Eagle bats exploded for 14 runs on 14 hits to outduel the host Bulldogs, 14-9.
Korie Vire led Spalding going 4-for-5 with five RBIs, while
Ryan Mosby went 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
JR Belt also drove in three runs in a 2-for-5 effort.
Josh Exton (1-0) earned his first collegiate win, allowing seven runs on 10 hits while striking out and walking three batters.
The Golden Eagles jumped on Redlands early scoring two runs in the first inning and five in the third to take a 7-0 lead. A trio of errors allowed
Kam Bruner and
Ryan Mosby to cross the plate in the top of the first. In the third, a Mosby single up the middle brought in
Jacob Woodruff, a Vire double to center scored
Kam Bruner, and a
JR Belt single to left center drove in Mosby and Vire. Belt scored the final run of the inning racing home when
Blake Patterson was thrown out attempting to steal second.
Redlands answered with seven runs over the next three innings to tie game 7-7. The Bulldogs tied the game with a single run in the sixth inning. Designated hitter Joey Warner reached on a leadoff walk, a Christian Conci double moved Warner to third. Warner scored the tying run on a Christopher Scalisi sacrifice fly to right field.
Spalding showed moxie, scoring three runs in the seventh to regain a three-run lead at 10-7. Bruner led off the inning with a double to left field and crossed the plate on a Vire double down the line. Following a Redlands pitching change, a Belt triple scored Vire, and Patterson followed with a sacrifice fly to right field allowing Belt to score from third.
SU added four support runs in the eighth inning to make the score 14-7. A Mosby two-RBI single scored Chafin and Woodruff, while advancing Bruner to third and Mosby advanced to second on the throw. Vire followed with single to center field bringing in Bruner, and Mosby scored when Vire was picked off at first base.
The Bulldogs scored two runs in the bottom of the eight, but
Dan Sanders came on to retire 4-of-6 six Redland batters to help SU earn the 14-9 win.
The Golden Eagles are back in action Sunday at Chapman University at 4:00 p.m. EST.
