Despite the threatening clouds and damp conditions, the University of Redlands softball team managed to fit in both games of its home opener against Division II Cal State San Marcos on Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs recovered from an early one-run deficit to defeat the visiting Cougars in the opening game by a score of 5-2. The second game saw a barrage of hits that led to the Maroon and Gray's first loss of the season in a rain-soaked 15-19 loss.
After San Marcos took advantage of an early error and pushed a run across in the first inning, Redlands responded with a two-out rally to score three runs. Freshman right fielder Amanda Lievanos (Anaheim, CA) stepped up with a bomb of a double to left field, bringing home freshman short stop Amanda Clark (Riverside, CA) and senior first baseman Lizett Casillas (Pomona, CA). Sophomore pitcher Kayla Uphold (Fontana, CA) repeated the effort with a double to the right-center gap, scoring Lievanos from second.
The Cougars cut the lead to one with an RBI-triple to right field in the top of the second inning, but that was all Uphold would surrender through the final out. She threw a complete game with three strikeouts and eight hits, while San Marcos left five on base.
The Bulldogs tacked on single scores in the fourth and sixth innings, as two players blasted home runs. Sophomore center fielder Sarah Beeman (Corona, CA) connected on the first dinger of her collegiate career, as junior second baseman Molly Duran (Corona, CA) recorded her second home run.
Ultimately, Redlands made the most of its opportunities with six hits and five runs en route to its fifth straight victory of the season.
Unfortunately, the Maroon and Gray's momentum let up in the second game, with the team's offensive output coming just a bit too late.
After giving up two scoring doubles in the first inning, the Bulldogs faced an early three-run deficit. However, the team answered with a four-run outburst in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by Casillas' two-RBI-double down the left-field line.
Cal State San Marcos continued to pound out the hits, with 10 of them coming over the course of the third and fourth innings. During this stretch, the Cougars scored eight runs to make it an 11-5 ball game.
Redlands refused to go away and scored one run in the bottom of the fifth when Duran crushed a sacrifice fly to right field, pushing across junior pinch runner/right fielder Kirstie Bender (Lakewood, CA). The Bulldogs came up with two more runs in the sixth as junior Jen Boschken (Davis, CA) stepped in as a pinch hitter and uncorked a long ball over the center-field fence.
The Cougars answered right back with an eight-run explosion, followed by Redlands' last-ditch effort to recover the deficit. With rain and hail dampening the field, the Bulldogs mustered seven runs on just three hits while also taking advantage of two San Marcos miscues in the final inning.
Bender recorded the team's third knock of the game when she scored two on her second career home run. With the bases loaded, junior catcher Kai Masutani (Honolulu, HI) sent a run across on a sacrifice hit to the pitcher. Redlands walked in another run and then looked to Beeman to connect on a long double to score three. Unfortunately, the rally ended there as Beeman was sent to third but was thrown out to end the game.
The Bulldogs went through four pitchers, with freshman Gabrielle Sciuto (Poway, CA) recording the loss after 2.1 innings of work. Junior Breanna Ruelas (Brawley, CA) and sophomore Jessica Wagner (Yucaipa, CA) both made their inaugural appearances on the season and combined for two innings.
Redlands (5-1) takes to the road for its next four doubleheaders, next competing at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Saturday at 12 noon in a SCIAC doubleheader.