REDLANDS, Calif. - Facing off against the 19th-ranked team in
NCAA Division III, the Puget Sound Loggers more than held their
own, splitting a non-conference doubleheader with the Redlands
Bulldogs, winning 9-6 before losing 14-9, at The Yard on Saturday
afternoon in Redlands, Calif.
In the first game, the host Bulldogs took an early 1-0 lead but
Matt Cox (Salem, Ore./South Salem) was able to knock in Mark Rockey
(Mountlake Terrace, Wash./New Mexico) in the top of the second to
even the score at 1-1. Redlands added one more in the bottom of the
second and a pair in the third to push their lead to 4-1 after
three frames.
The score would stay at 4-1 through five innings until the
Logger bats came alive again in the sixth. Rockey led things off
with an RBI double to left center that scored Dakota Resnik
(Bellevue, Wash./Newport). Cox then doubled to right field, scoring
Rockey and then Andrew Grady (Cave Creek, Ariz./Phoenix Country
Day) hit a two-RBI double upt he middle that scored Cox and David
Thirlby (Seattle, Wash./O'Dea).
Redlands would strike for one more in the seventh but Rockey
picked up another RBI in the seventh as he drove in Gregg Ringold
(Los Altos Hills, Calif./Harker School) and then Will Mentor
(Seattle, Wash./Seattle Prep) singled in Rockey to put UPS up, 7-5.
One more Redlands run got them back within one in the bottom of the
eighth but Rockey hit a bomb to right field to score a pair as the
Loggers collected the 9-6 victory.
Colby Robinson (Gig Harbor, Wash./Olympic College) got the win
for the Loggers while Spencer Crace (Wilsonville, Ore.) collected
the save. Kevin Bissell took the loss for the Bulldogs. Rockey
finished the game three-for-four from the plate with four runs
scored and four RBIs.
In the second game, the Bulldogs took control early, putting up
four runs in the top of the first. The Loggers answered back with a
pair in the bottom of the first, including one on an RBI triple by
Cox. The Bulldogs answered that back with two of their own in the
top of the second on a home run by Jeffre Johnson. In the bottom of
the second, Ringold got the Logger offense going with a two-RBI
triple down the right field line that scored Grady and Doug Cox
(Kailua, Hawaii/Kalaheo). Chaz Kramer (Boulder, Colo./Silver Creek)
then singled in Ringold to get Puget Sound back within one run,
6-5.
Each team added one run in the fourth and then the Bulldogs
tacked on another run in the top of the fifth to push their lead to
two runs. Redlands blew the game open in the top of the seventh,
using five runs to build the big lead. UPS answered back with a
pair of runs in the bottom of the frame but it would prove to be
too little as the Bulldogs would win by an eventual final of 14-9.
Cameron Duvall (Lakewood, Wash./Lakes) took the loss for Puget
Sound, allowing eight runs on 14 hits in five and two-thirds
innings pitched with three strikeouts.
The Loggers will be back in action on Sunday when they travel to
Claremont, Calif. to take on the Stags of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Box Scores: Game
One/Game
Two
