The University of Redlands softball team concluded its campaign with a pair of losses against Chapman University in Saturday's Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) regular-season finale. The Panthers won the first game, 0-8, while the Bulldogs nearly rallied back in a 3-4 loss in the nightcap.
Although the Panthers began the opening contest with a 3-0 lead through four innings, Redlands registered hits in the second and fifth innings. But Chapman put up a crooked number in the bottom of the sixth to win the first game in six innings.
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, game two started in a similar fashion with the Panthers going up 4-0 after two innings. This time, Redlands began to battle back in the top of the third with an RBI-double from senior right fielder Jennifer Ng (Pleasanton, CA).
With two outs in the top of the fourth, first-year first baseman Tyesen Gordon (Lathrop, CA) blasted a triple to left field, which sent first-year designated player Jaeden Ells (Yelm, WA) home for the score. On the ensuing at-bat, senior second baseman Julianne Rodriguez (Thousand Oaks, CA) singled to right field to cut the Maroon and Gray's deficit to one at 3-4.
Despite senior pitcher Mika Imoto (Vista, CA) pitching 1-2-3 innings in the fifth and sixth frames, the Bulldogs could not convert the necessary runs.
During game two, Ng and Gordon each went 2-for-3 at the plate.
Redlands completes its season with a 16-24 overall record and a 10-18 mark in the SCIAC in Head Coach Jose Ortega's first year at the helm.