The 19th-ranked University of Redlands softball team traveled to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges for a critical showdown against the Athenas on Saturday. Amidst an incredible pitchers' duel, the Bulldogs rattled off two hits and took advantage of a CMS miscue in the top of the seventh inning to push across the opener's only run for the win. During the nightcap, the Maroon and Gray broke a three-all tie in the sixth inning to garner the season sweep of the Athenas.
With both pitchers firing on all cylinders, neither team managed much of an offense as they combined for only four hits after six innings.
In the top of the seventh, Redlands stepped up with two base-knocks, beginning with sophomore short stop Vicki King's (Thousand Oaks, CA) lead-off single to right center. After runners advanced to second and third on a CMS error, sophomore first baseman Tori Santos (West Covina, CA) produced an RBI-single to plate freshman pinch-runner Marissa Romero (Manteca, CA), who stepped in for King.
With the game on the line, senior pitcher Kaitlyn Hooper (Riverside, CA) shut down the Athenas in four batters during the final half-inning. Overall, she threw a gem by scattering four hits in a complete-game shutout.
During the second game of the doubleheader, Redlands jumped out to a two-run lead in the top of the first inning, as senior center-fielder Amanda Lievanos (Anaheim, CA) uncorked an RBI-triple before King plated her with a single to left field.
However, the Athenas quickly answered by pulling one back in the bottom of the inning.
In the fifth frame, Redlands looked to Lievanos once again, as she offered a sacrifice fly to push across senior second baseman Amanda Clark (Riverside, CA).
But things got interesting in the bottom of the fifth, as the Athenas responded with two runs of their own to even the score.
However, senior catcher Kristen Hooper (Riverside, CA) connected on an RBI-single to left field to break the tie in the top of the sixth stanza. While pinch-running for sophomore left-fielder AJ Carrasco (Whittier, CA) after she led off the frame with a single, Romero crossed home plate for the eventual game-winning run.
Kaitlyn Hooper returned to the circle for the final 2.1 innings, registering her 12th win of the season in the process. Sophomore Lauren Henson (Highland, CA) pitched four solid innings to start the game, giving up only one run and fanning one Athena batter.
Carrasco led all Bulldogs with a 2-for-3 showing at the dish, while Lievanos supplied a game-high two RBI.
Redlands (18-6, 14-0 SCIAC) returns to action on Sunday, when it travels to Cal Lutheran University for a rescheduled doubleheader against the Regals at 12 noon.
