THE BASICS:
- Records: MIT (6-5-1); University of Redlands (9-15-1)
- Score: MIT 20, University of Redlands 8
- Location: Redlands, Calif. (The Yard)
- The Lead: Led by a two-home run, nine-RBI day from junior Matt Johnston (Portola Valley, Calif.), the MIT baseball team came away with a 20-8 victory at the University of Redlands on Wednesday afternoon. The nine-RBI performance ties the MIT single game record, that was set 52 years ago by Jeff Weissman. This was the first-ever meeting between the two teams as Redlands has now dropped four straight games overall.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Bulldogs got on the board with two outs in the bottom of the first as a balk scored Anthony Acosta for the 1-0 lead. The Engineers answered with a pair in the top of the third behind an RBI double to right center by junior Tony Rice (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and a sacrifice fly to center by first-year Cory O'Shea (Glen Allen, Va.).\
- Redlands tied the game for the final time with no outs in the fourth as Chris Hardin singled to third and came home on an RBI double to left center by Eduardo Martinez-Razo.
- The Engineers took control with their highest-scoring inning of the year as the visitors put up 12 runs on five hits and four bases-loaded walks to seize a 14-2 lead. Junior Matt Johnston (Portola Valley, Calif.) continued his torrid Spring Break hitting with a grand slam and a bases-clearing triple for seven RBI in that inning along. The grand slam marked his fourth home run in the last five games and the second grand slam for the Engineers this season.
- After a single Redlands run in the sixth, MIT came right back with three more runs in the top of the seventh as Rice cleared the bases for the 17-3 advantage. The Bulldogs put up five runs on five hits in the seventh to pull within 17-8, but Johnston immediately answered for MIT with a two-out homer to left for his fifth homer in five games. Sophomore Andrew Krause (St. Louis, Mo.) also answered with a towering solo shot to center to account for the 20-8 final.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Junior Zack Kopstein (Tiburon, Calif.) went five innings for the win, improving to 1-0 on the season as he scattered six hits with two walks and six strikeouts. For the Bulldogs, Matt Crow took the loss with nine earned runs and seven walks in 0.2 innings of work.
- Johnston finished a double short of the cycle as he was 5-for-6 with nine RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Zach Roberts (West Chester, Pa.) and Rice both had three hits, while Rice had five runs batted in. Overall, eight Engineers scored multiple runs and the offense put together 17 hits.
UP NEXT:
- MIT closes out its six-game California swing on Thursday, March 28th as the Engineers travel to Cal Lutheran for a 1 p.m. Pacific time start at Ullman Stadium.
STAY CONNECTED:
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