LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team needed to come away with a win Saturday against Occidental College and they did just that splitting with the Tigers on the road 3-2 and 12-2, which secured them the 2022 SCIAC Regular Season Championship Title and the No. 1 overall seed in the upcoming SCIAC Tournament.
The Maroon and Grey have now won back-to-back regular season SCIAC Championship Titles and are looking to earn a spot in the NCAA Division III National Championships for the second straight year. They finished the regular season 22-12, 15-6 SCIAC.
Game 1 (L, 3-2)
Occidental proved a tough out in Game 1 of the doubleheader limiting the Bulldogs offense, while holding on for the one-run victory. Redlands jumped ahead early 2-0 after two innings. Alexis Campos (Lake Forest, CA) started the game off with a double to left field and came in to score following a two-bagger from Tyesen Gordon (Lathrop, CA) to right center. Then in the second Annabelle Gutierrez (Gilroy, CA) would add another run to the board with a solo shot to deep left.
But this would be the only offense generated by Redlands as Oxy would comeback with a run in the second inning and another two runs in the fourth that moved the score to 3-2. They grabbed their first run coming on a two out base hit on the infield and then drove in the game-tying and go-ahead runs with two outs off the bat of Krishnadan who doubled to right center.
The Bulldogs threatened in the fifth inning with Sierra Daley (Torrance, CA) getting hit by a pitch and moving to third thanks to a Kalyn Kershner (Ewa Beach, HI) double to right field. But neither could come in as Paige Messenlehner (Fresno, CA) would pop-up on the infield ending the threat. Then over the final two innings Redlands would pick up another two hits, but they would get left scattered allowing Oxy to come away with the win.
Kershner got the start and went a complete game, going 6.0 Innings giving up three runs on seven hits, while striking out five and walking five. Gutierrez finished 2-for-3 scoring once and driving in another. Gordon was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Campos was 1-for-4 with a run scored.
Game 2 (W, 12-2)
The second game of the doubleheader was a must-win for the Maroon and Grey and they came out and found their offense bringing across twelve runs, ten of which came in the final two innings on 18 hits.
After two scoreless innings the Bulldogs and Tigers would finally strike with a pair of runs in the third. UR capitalized on two Oxy errors and used a single from Gutierrez and a sacrifice fly from Daley to go on top. In the bottom half of the frame Oxy would answer with a single and triple coming with two outs that deadlocked the game.
That then led into another two scoreless frames keeping the game tied at two heading into the top half of the sixth. That's where the Bulldogs opened the game up plating six runs on eight hits. Campos started the big inning off with a single to the shortstop and came around to score on a Collette Allen (Sierra Madre, CA) triple to right field. The very next batter Gordon would single to the right side plating the second run and Daley would keep the rally going with a base hit to center. After a pitching change the Bulldogs gathered another two hits from Gutierrez and Kershner, which scored another three runs. Then two batters later Aya Smith (Redlands, CA) kept her hot bat going with a base hit into left that moved the score to 8-2.
Things got worse for the Tigers as Redlands would score another four runs in the seventh that put the game away. Daley would hammer a two run shot to left and Danielle Stallings (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) would double to the opposite gap plating Messenlehner and Kershner.
Stallings collected the win improving to 13-4. She threw a complete game going 7.0 Innings, giving up two runs on nine hits. Gordon posted a 3-for-4 effort scoring three times and driving in another. Gutierrez was 2-for-5 with a run scored and another run batted in, Daley was 2-for-3 driving in three and scoring once, and Messenlehner would post a 2-for-5 effort with two runs and an RBI.
Redlands enters the SCIAC Tournament next weekend, May 6-8 as the No. 1 seed, hosting throughout the three days. Opponent is yet to be determined and will be decided after tomorrow's Whittier/Cal Lutheran game. The opening game will take place next Friday, May 6 at the Field of Dreams beginning at 2:00pm.