REDDING, Calif. – The newly re-launched Bushnell University baseball team officially got their debut campaign underway on Friday, playing a double-header against Simpson University on the road. The Red Hawks came out on top, taking both halves of the twin bill, 15-13 and 11-3.
Final scores not withstanding, it was a day of pride for the program, under the tutelage of first-year head coach Tommy Richards. “Today was exciting as we set sail on our baseball journey as Bushnell for the first time,” said Richards. “I thought the guys were excited to play and we played really hard.”
As for the pair of losses, which featured 20 Beacon hits, Richards said, “We played a great first game and just came out short. In the second game, we needed to compartmentalize a whole lot better than we did. We will continue to move forward and build every day with the mission of helping this team and these guys reach their full potential. We know what we signed up for and that it wouldn’t be easy. We are going to dig in and make sure that our daily investment matches our vision.”
GAME ONE: Simpson 15, Bushnell 13
The first Bushnell baseball game in over 50 years was an exciting affair, that featured three lead changes and 31 combined hits.
There were plenty of firsts for the Beacons, providing the answers to future trivia questions. The first hit of the NAIA-era came from freshman Brandon Reed. The first home run, and run scored came off the bat of freshman Jameson Hussey in the fourth inning. Hussey finished the game hitting 3-for-6 with four RBI.
Freshman Peyton Hino led off the game and went 3-for-4, producing four RBI as he crushed a three-run home run in the seventh inning. Richards said, “Hino had a really good day for us from the leadoff spot, and set the tone in a lot of ways for our offense.”
“It was great to see our team battle through some adversity today,” added Hino. “We gave up a big eight run inning but we came right back and scored ten more which showed a lot of grit and resolve.”
The first stolen base came courtesy of freshman Kyle Casperson, who went 3-for-4 in the game and reached base five times.
Daniel Furman, who went 3-for-5 at the dish, also pitched the final two innings for the Beacons, allowing just one earned run on two hits. Coach Richards said, “I really liked Furman’s effort today. It’s a tough situation to bring someone in in the seventh to close out a game after playing the entire game in the outfield.
Furman added, “It was really awesome to see everybody out there playing today. We have worked so hard to get to this point and it is just exciting to finally be out here with the guys getting Bushnell Baseball underway.”
Ethan Sachs got the start for the Beacons and threw four solid innings before getting into trouble in the fifth.
GAME TWO: Simpson 11, Bushnell 3
The night cap was unable to match the fireworks provided in the opener as the Beacons were able to secure just three hits and one earned run. Hussey, Reece Carganilla, and Jordan Wilson collected hits for the Beacons while Wilson, Caleb Watson and Reed earned RBIs.
Richards praised Reed after the contest, saying, “Brandon did a great job with his first collegiate experience, working as the designated hitter in the first game and catching game two. He contributed in a lot of ways.
Reed added, “We were resilient today, but we were also really excited to play. We want to come back out tomorrow with the same mentality, excited to be out their competing really hard.”
The Beacons and Redhawks will play two more on Saturday, beginning at 11:00 am.