Hull Twirls Complete Game in Doubleheader Split with Redlands

CLAREMONT, Calif. – Justin Hull (CMC) tossed a complete game, six-hitter in Game Two of a doubleheader on Saturday against the No. 15 Redlands Bulldogs. The effort from Hull helped the Stags to a 5-3 victory in the contest allowing the Stags to salvage a game from the three-game series. The Bulldogs defeated the Stags 7-3 in the first game of the doubleheader, before Hull shouldered the load in the night-cap.

Carson Bridges (CMC) led the way for the Stags' offense with three hits on the day.

Game One - Redlands defeats CMS 7-3

The Stags' offensive struggles from Friday carried over into the early portions of Saturday's doubleheader. The Stags were held to just three hits over the first seven innings of Game One before getting on the board with three runs in the bottom of eighth inning on three hits.

While Redlands scored seven runs in the first game of the doubleheader, their runs came in dribs and drabs over the course of Game One. The Bulldogs scored one run in the first and added a second in the top of the third before plating two in both the fourth and seventh frames. An insurance run in the top of the eighth gave the visitors a 7-0 lead before the Stags got on the board in the bottom of the eighth.

For the Bulldogs, four different batters collected at least three hits in the first game of the day with catcher Rainier Aguilar leading the offense with a 4-4 effort, including a double and three RBI.

Zach Clarke (CMC) made his season debut in a pinch hitting spot in the eighth, driving home Kevin Nakahara (HMC) with a single up the middle. Later in the inning Carson Bridges lifted a two-run single to left center to make it a 7-3 game.

On the hill, Redlands' starter Adam Stead went seven scoreless inning and scattered three hits and two walks while striking out nine CMS hitters.

Game Two - CMS defeats Redlands 5-3

The second game of the doubleheader belonged to the Stags' Justin Hull who tossed his second complete game of the season with a nine-inning, six-hit, three-run performance on Saturday afternoon. Hull sat the Bulldogs down in order in the first, fifth, and ninth innings and limited damage on multiple occasions throughout his outing.

After a three-up, three-down first inning, Hull allowed a one-out double in the second, but got a pop-up and a fly out to end the threat. His only mistakes in the first half of the game came in the third and fourth innings, when he surrendered solo home runs to Will Hall (third inning) and Brendan Moore (fourth inning).

After Moore's homer, Hull wiggled out of trouble when a walk and a single advanced to second and third with two away. A pop-up ended the inning and he stranded the two runners in scoring position for the Bulldogs. Following a clean fifth, Hull issued a walk in the sixth and allowed two baserunners to reach in the seventh, but he stranded all three runners on the bases.

While Hull was mowing down the Bulldogs, the Stags' offense had come alive. CMS threatened for the first time in the bottom of the second when they loaded the bases on a single and three batters hit by pitches. The Bulldogs picked off a runner at third and a double play ended the inning without CMS denting the scoreboard. Just an inning later the Stags would get the big hit there were looking for when Chase Eller (CMC) grounded an RBI single up the middle to score Henri Levenson (CMC) from third with two outs. After a Patrick Gavin (CMC) walk, Carson Bridges singled to center to score Eller and continued the Stags' rally. Ryan Motter then delivered the big blow with an opposite field triple down the right field line that scored two and gave CMS a 4-1 lead at the end of the third.

After a solo home run for Redlands in the top of the fourth, CMS quickly responded with a two-out RBI single by Patrick Gavin. After three walks loaded the bases, Gavin chopped an infield single to second base that brought Alex Clemens (CMC) in from third. Clemens's run made it a 5-2 game and that's where things stayed until the top of the eighth.

Hull got the first two batters in the top of the eighth with a pop up and a groundout before things got a little weird. A walk and an error put runners on first and second with two outs for the Bulldogs' centerfielder Kyle Kabeary. Already with a hit off Hull back in the fourth, Kabeary ripped a single through the left side of the infield. The single allowed the runner from second to score, but in left field Nakahara got to the ball quickly and stopped the runner at first from going first to third on the hit. Kabeary, who was thinking double out of the box, got all the way to second base before realizing it was occupied and then tried to make he way back to first. Kabeary was unsuccessful. The Stags got the ball across the infield and put the tag on him to end the inning.

After a quiet eighth for the Stags, Hull slammed the door in the ninth with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to complete the game and give CMS the 5-3 victory.

With the doubleheader split, CMS moves to 15-13 on the season and 6-6 in SCIAC play. The Stags only have SCIAC games remaining on the schedule and they next take the field on Friday when they host Pomona-Pitzer at 3:00 p.m.