Amidst the excitement of the program's 100th season of baseball, the University of Redlands registered its first-ever perfect game, defeating the Beavers of Caltech in the second half of a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) doubleheader on Saturday at the Yard. The historical milestone came on a combined effort from three pitchers as the Maroon and Gray downed the Beavers by a score of 12-0 after seven innings due to the conference's 10-run rule.
Redlands also garnered the twinbill sweep with a 14-0 showing after seven innings in the opener.
Behind sophomore starter Kyle Hart (Burbank, CA), freshman Casey Miller (Laguna Beach, CA) and junior Brock Jacobo (Yuma, AZ), the Bulldogs refused to allow a run, hit or walk en route to the perfect game. In addition, Redlands' defense provided a flawless supporting role for the stellar showing from the mound.
Beyond this exciting achievement, the Bulldogs enjoyed additional firsts during Saturday's SCIAC sweep.
Nine different batters recorded a hit in the nightcap, including senior pitcher/designated hitter Derek Johnson's (Canby, OR) first career knock in his inaugural at-bat. Overall, the Maroon and Gray offense stepped up with plenty of punch, scoring in six of the seven innings played.
Junior catcher Landon McMath (Riverside, CA) rounded all the bases when he tallied his first career inside-the-park home run for the Bulldogs.
In addition, freshman center fielder Alex Scheiwe (Encinitas, CA) recorded his second three-hit performance in his last three starts.
Earning the starting nod for the first time this season, sophomore first baseman Petter Overton-Harris (Beaverton, OR) drove in three RBI while going 2-for-4 at the plate.
During the opening match-up, the Beavers hung close with Redlands, trailing by only three runs up until the fourth inning when the Maroon and Gray lit up the scoreboard with a 10-run explosion.
Johnson collected his eighth victory of the 2011 season. The veteran now ranks among the elite in Division III for wins (8) and strikeouts (57).
Junior relievers Josh Snyder (Denver, CO) and Jeff Cashmer (Cherry Valley, CA) combined for four scoreless innings with five strikeouts, while freshman pitcher Ross Orman (Corvallis, OR) made his first collegiate appearance and retired the side to finish out the game.
UR's back end of the lineup did most of the damage with freshman catcher Joe Bell (Bakersfield, CA) and sophomore center fielder Ryan Buscemi (Tiburon, CA) leading the way. The tandem went 4-for-7 at the dish, driving in five RBI and scoring on three occasions.
Redlands (17-6, 11-3 SCIAC) finishes out the three-game set against Caltech during Sunday's single contest in Pasadena, which originally was rained out on Friday. The first pitch is set for 1 p.m.