REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team defied the odds Saturday coming from being a game away from exiting the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Tournament to knocking out both the University of La Verne (8-5) and Pomona-Pitzer (8-7) to secure a spot in Championship Sunday.
The Bulldogs needed a pair of wins and they did just that as they now head into Sunday, May 8 needing two more wins to grab the AQ into the NCAA Division III National Championships. They will need to get past Chapman University though who have collected a pair of wins on the weekend (La Verne & Pomona-Pitzer), earning themselves a spot in the SCIAC Tournament Championship for the first time in program history.
Redlands has won three of their last four and improve to 24-13, 15-6 SCIAC.
Game 1 (La Verne | W, 8-5)
After being held to just four hits a day prior the Maroon and Grey got their bats going to start Day 2 of the SCIAC Tournament. They did however find themselves in an early hole trailing 4-0 to the Leopards after three innings. But it would be the 4th Inning that started it all as the Bulldogs plated five runs on five hits. Danielle Stallings (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) started things off with a base hit into left field and was followed by Aya Smith (Redlands, CA) who drilled one into center. After a foul out that put two outs on the board UR was forced to rally sparked by Alexis Campos (Lake Forest, CA) who unloaded on a three-run shot to deep left field. After that an error by the ULV right fielder and a base hit from Tyesen Gordon (Lathrop, CA) would put another two runners on and that brought up Sierra Daley (Torrance, CA) who would double down the left field line bringing across another two putting Redlands on top 5-4.
In the top half of the 7th Inning Redlands tacked on much needed insurance again using five hits to score three. Smith doubled to left center to get into scoring position. Two batters later Campos would unload on a change-up driving a double down the left field line and was immediately followed by a pair of singles from Collette Allen (Sierra Madre, CA) and Gordon, who helped move the score to 8-4.
La Verne attempted a rally in their final at-bats getting a walk and a single, but could only bring in one as the Bulldogs would pick up a groundout, a foul out and a fly ball that ended the late rally.
Stallings picked up her fourteenth win on the season going a complete game, giving up five runs (three earned) on nine hits. Gordon and Daley both finished 3-for-5 and combined for a run scored and three RBI's. Campos was 2-for-4 in the leadoff spot and collected two runs and four runs batted in. Smith added a 2-for-4 effort, Stallings, was 1-for-3 and Kalyn Kershner (Ewa Beach, HI) was 2-for-5.
Game 2 (Pomona-Pitzer | W, 8-7)
In a win-or-go-home situation in the final game of the day the Bulldogs rose to the occasion and knocked out the Sagehens avenging their 10-0 loss from Day 1.
Pomona-Pitzer jumped ahead early with a run in their opening at-bats, but that would be the last time they would lead as Redlands would post six runs in the top half of the second coming on six hits after they got after Sagehen starter Blackwell. Daley started the inning off with a walk and then came home on a two-run shot from Kershner to left field. The inning continued with back-to-back-to-back singles from Smith, Kassidy Long (Hemet, CA), and Paige Messenlehner (Fresno, CA) that loaded the bases, leading to a Campos double to left field and an Allen single up the middle.
Leading 6-1, the Bulldogs added another in the 3rd Inning this time from Annabelle Gutierrez (Gilroy, CA) who went yard to dead center making it a six-run game. That same inning PP would capitalize on a UR miscue also using the longball as Brajkovic would go yard for a two-run blast, moving it back to a four-run game.
After a pair of scoreless innings in the 4th and 5th, the Sagehens would come out with a three-spot in the bottom half of the 6th Inning, cutting the lead to one and it could have been more, but Kershner would gun down a runner from center field trying to score from second base, keeping the game a one-run differential.
In the top-half of the 7th, the Bulldogs received the eventual game-winning run off the bat of Gutierrez, who went yard for the second time on the game, this time to left field, moving the score to 8-6. Stallings, who came in relief of Kershner in the middle of the 6th Inning, faced a tough test in the bottom half of the frame. With two-outs and a runner in scoring position the Sagehens would threaten with Bradley driving in one with a single on the infield. She would then advance to second following a throwing error and almost tied the game up on the ensuing base hit from Carreon to the right center field gap, but came up short as Carreon would get gunned down trying to stretch the single into a double ending the comeback hopes of the Sagehens.
Kershner picked up the win, improving to 8-7. She went 5.0 Innings, giving up four runs (one earned) on six hits. Stallings collected her first save on the season coming in to toss the final 2.0 Innings and giving up three runs (all unearned) on five hits.
The Bulldogs totaled 12 hits for the game with Allen going 3-for-4 with two RBI's. Guterrez was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Messenlehner also added a 2-for-3 effort and scored a run. Other notable performances included Kershner (1-for-4, Run, 2 RBI's), Campos (1-for-4, Run, 2 RBI's), Long (1-for-3, Run), and Smith (1-for-4, Run).
Redlands, the top seed in the SCIAC Tournament will now faceoff against No. 2 Chapman University with the first game slated for 12:00pm at the "Field of Dreams."
