REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team (7-4, 1-1) won their fourth and fifth games in-a-row with a doubleheader sweep at home against Alfred University (AU) Monday afternoon. In Game 1 Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) pitched another complete game shutout in the Bulldogs' 4-0 win, then in Game 2 UR held off the Saxons for a 9-6 victory.
Game 1 (W, 4-0)
The Bulldogs scored all the runs they would need in the first inning thanks to Kalyn Kershner's (Ewa Beach, HI) double to center and then Annabelle Gutierrez's (Gilroy, CA) sacrifice fly as Avery Duran (Corona, CA) showed off her speed by scoring on a ball that was caught on the infield dirt. Alexis Campos (Lake Forest, CA) scored on the double.
In the fourth Layla Mendoza (Salinas, CA) added a third run for Redlands on a home run to straightaway center. It was her second of the season.
The fourth and final run of the game came on a fielder's choice from Isabella Culp (Hanford, CA) as Kayla Jackson (Bishop, CA) made it home.
Campos finished with two of the seven Bulldog hits. Mendoza was the other player who reached base safely multiple times with a home run and a walk. On the base paths Kershner and Adyson Kim (Millbrae, CA) each had steals while Jackson recorded two.
In the circle Gandara needed only 67 pitches and faced three over the minimum while allowing just two hits, walking none, and striking out four as she won her third game of the season.
Game 2 (W, 9-6)
Campos opened the scoring with a single to left that scored Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA) who walked from her leadoff spot and then stole second and third.
The second and third runs of the first inning came courtesy of Paige Messenlehner (Easton, CA) who brought around Duran on a single to center for a 2-0 lead. Kershner then stole home as Messenlehner took second to make it 3-0 Bulldogs after one.
The Saxons got a pair of runs back in the second and third on an error and then a single through the left side. Kim, though, got one of the runs back in the fourth on a single to right field with two outs plating Messenlehner. The very next batter, Campos, who had just missed a pair of home runs to deep left field earlier in the day, took advantage of a pitch and hit a grand slam to left field to put the game away with what would become the game-winning hit as the Bulldogs led by six, 8-2.
Alfred University and the Bulldogs traded runs in the fifth with a single for AU and a sacrifice fly for Messenlehner in the bottom of the inning.
After a scoreless sixth for both sides, the Saxons grounded out to start the seventh, but the next six batters reached and they had three runs across the board with only one out and the tying run at the plate.
Reliever Ally Forbell (Salinas, CA) was able to work around a walk that loaded the bases putting the tying run at first, by collecting a popup and a flyout to Kershner in center for Redlands' fifth-straight win.
Campos continues her great senior season with two more hits and a new career-high five RBI's. Bard led off and reached twice with two runs and two stolen bases. Messenlehner was 2-for-2 with a run scored, two RBI's, and a stolen base.
Brianna Garcia (Riverside, CA) came on in relief and threw four shutout innings (one run was unearned).
The Bulldogs will continue their non-conference schedule in Tucson, Arizona this coming weekend as they play four games with their first two coming on Saturday, March 11 against Wisconsin-La Crosse and Concordia Wisconsin.
