CMS Baseball Sweeps Doubleheader Over Redlands with 4-2 and 9-3 Wins

CLAREMONT, Calif -- The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps baseball team bounced back from a tough series opener on Friday at Redlands to sweep a doubleheader against the Bulldogs behind solid pitching outings from Diego Avila and Brandon Mitchell alongside five RBI from Patrick Gavin to earn 4-2 and 9-3 wins on Saturday at Arce Field.

CMS improves to 5-4 overall and 2-3 in SCIAC play with the pair of victories and Redlands falls to 7-6 overall and 3-2 within the conference with the pair of losses. Diego Avila (W, 2-0) earned his second victory of the season with 6.2 solid innings in the first game, allowing one earned run on six hits with six strikeouts and Brandon Mitchell held a no-hitter into the seventh inning when he gave up his first hit with one out in the top of the seventh and allowed just two batters to reach base prior to that point. Mitchell, in total, allowed just three runs on three hits with seven strikeouts to earn his first victory of the season in Game 2.

Patrick Gavin went 3-for-4 with two runs scored in the first game and launched his second home run of the season, a three-run blast, in the seventh inning of the second game to finish the day with five RBI in total. Brandon Rho finished with five hits combined between the two games including a 3-for-4, one RBI performance in Game 1 and a 2-for-3 performance with one double in Game 2. In total, the Stags offense poured it on scoring 13 runs on 23 hits combined between the two victories over Redlands today. 

In Game 1, the Stags opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning when Evan Kelly laced a lined drive into left field allowing Gavin to score after he reached with a one-out single and advanced on a single by Rho pushing the home team in front 1-0 through two innings.

Avila locked down the Bulldogs early allowing just three hits through three innings until the Stags pounced once again in the bottom of the third. Kevin Nakahara opened the inning with a double to left and would later score on a fielder's choice from the bat of Gavin to stretch the advantage to 2-0. Rho followed immediately with a single to right allowing Henri Levenson to score after he followed the double by Nakahara with a single to center extending the lead to three runs. William DeForest lined a single to left to score Gavin and push the advantage to 4-0 through three innings of play at Arce Field. 

The four-run lead held until the seventh inning. Avila allowed just two hits during that time and retired two outs in the top of the seventh but then the Bulldogs got on the board. Jonah Advincula reached on an infield single moving Cal Bridges to second. Bridges walked with one out prior to the infield single and scored on a single to left by Max Smyley as Redlands grabbed back a run and now trailed 4-1. 

Redlands scratched across another run in the top of the eighth off of reliever Nick Dazell who allowed one run on two hits with one strikeout in his 1.0 inning from the mound. Payton Walsh doubled to right-center to open the inning and would score later in the frame on a sacrifice fly by Acosta to cut the lead to two, 4-2. 

Nico Mannucci (Sv, 2) was brought on in the top of the ninth and closed out his second save of the season, allowing one hit and recording one strikeout to slam the door shut on a Stags 4-2 victory. Gavin finished with three hits and one RBI, Rho tallied three hits as well with one RBI, DeForest drove in a run with a 1-for-4 performance, and Kelly finished 1-for-2 with one RBI.

In Game 2, CMS poured it on in the bottom of the first and used solid pitching from Brandon Mitchell to rout the Bulldogs 9-3. The Stags opened the game with three runs on four hits including a one-out double to right field by Levenson, a single to center by Zach Clarke and a defensive miscue by the Bulldogs on a fielder's choice that resulted in an errant throw that allowed Levenson to score and put the Stags in front 1-0. 

Late in the first inning, Gavin doubled to left-center and Castillo scored extending the lead to 2-0 and Truman Miller singled to center to score Gavin and give the Stags a 3-0 lead in the first. Those pivotal runs would play a big role in the moment for the Stags going forward as Redlands seemed deflated by the early offense from CMS. Mitchell continued to roll, retiring the first six batters he faced through the first two innings with two strikeouts. 

CMS added to its lead in the bottom of the third when Kelly flew out to right field and Castillo tagged and scored and then later in the frame, Miller grounded out to Smyley at shortstop allowing Gavin to score on the play and push the Stags in front by five through three innings, 5-0.

That lead held until the top of the sixth when Redlands responded. Mitchell retired Brennan Carr with a strikeout but then allowed a hit for the first time to Walsh who singled to second base despite a diving effort by Gavin to try and keep the hit off the board. The Bulldogs had their first hit of the game and would score two runs on three hits in the top of the sixth inning as Chris Hardin tripled to deep center field allowing Acosta, who reached on a single to center, and Walsh to score cutting the advantage to three runs, 5-2. 

Redlands added one run in the top of the seventh off of Mitchell following a strikeout of Max Clark, Advincula walked and then stole second and Smyley earned a walk to put two runners on. Brennan Carr followed with a flyout to right field allowing Advincula to advance to third on a close throw from Carson Bridges that almost caught the runner at the bag. A wild pitch by Mitchell brought home Advincula and the Bulldogs cut the lead to two runs, 5-3. 

The Stags responded in the bottom of the seventh when Gavin launched a three-run blast over the left-field fence and extended the lead to 8-3 through seven innings and then one more run scored in the bottom of the eighth to help put the game away. Castillo doubled to right-center and Clarke scored to give the Stags a 9-3 victory. 

Mitchell dominated over his 7.0 innings on the bump allowing just three hits and three runs to earn his first victory of the season and the Stags have won two in a row for the first time since the opening weekend when they defeated Pacific 4-1 and won both ends of a twin-bill against Lewis & Clark (12-0, 4-3) on Feb. 7 and Feb. 8 to open the season. He also tossed the most innings without allowing a hit this season after holding Lewis & Clark to one hit through seven innings on Feb. 8. 

CMS baseball is back in action on Saturday, Mar. 7 at Redlands in a non-conference matchup with the Bulldogs on the road. The first pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m at The Yard in Redlands. The Stags return home on Sun., Mar. 8 against Whitman with first pitch scheduled for 10:30 am at Arce Field. The game against Whitman marks the first of an eight-game homestand. 

Junior second baseman Patrick Gavin spoke after his five-RBI performance and the doubleheader sweep