The University of Redlands softball team welcomed Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) competitor Cal Lutheran University to the Field of Dreams for the series finale on Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs produced double-digit runs on 12 hits for a dominating, 10-1, win and sweep of CLU.
The Maroon and Gray started things off with a bang as first-year pitcher Ali Borden (Santa Barbara, CA) went 1, 2, 3 with two Ks in the top of the first. Her offense picked up the impressive effort with four runs on three hits in the bottom of the inning.
Junior shortstop Natalie Horton (Palmdale, CA) led off with a walk and subsequently stole second. She took third on senior left fielder Tsianina Flores's (Corona, CA) double and then was sent home on a sacrifice fly. Two batters later, Flores also tagged up and scored on a sac fly. Now with two on and two out, sophomore catcher Megan Watkins (Beaumont, CA) sent a triple to the right-center fence for two RBI and a 4-0 Redlands advantage after one.
Similar to the first, Borden made quick work of the next three Regal batters, pitching three consecutive groundouts.
Redlands kept the pressure up as junior third baseman Madison Alves (Kingsburg, CA) led off the second with a single through the left side that Horton followed with a double. The next batter reached on an unsuccessful fielder's choice making everyone safe as Alves snuck in for the score. The next Bulldog batter fouled out to shallow first base, but with speed on the base paths, Horton tagged up and scored from third for a 6-0 Bulldog lead.
Both teams added a single run in the fourth and fifth innings, to make the score 8-2 through five.
In the top of the sixth, CLU had runners on first and second. The Regals attempted the double steal but Watkins threw down to third to get the lead runner and secure the second out and stymie the visiting teams' momentum.
In the bottom of the sixth, after an out, sophomore center fielder Kalyn Kershner (Ewa Beach, HI) and Watkins hit back-to-back base hits up the middle. Junior right fielder Kayla Rivas (Whittier, CA) followed with a clutch shot through the left side that in combination with a CLU miscue, sent Kershner all the way home. Alves then walked to load the bases, before Horton lined a single to left for an RBI and a walk-off base hit, taking the game 10-2 through six innings.
Six Bulldogs recorded a multi-hit afternoon while Borden tallied four strikeouts and was credited with the win.
Redlands (9-4, 9-0 SCIAC) heads to the University of La Verne on Wednesday, May 5, for a conference doubleheader at 4 and 6 p.m.