REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team extended their winning streak to five after a pair of wins over California Lutheran University 4-0 and 9-6 at The Field of Dreams Saturday afternoon.
The Bulldogs have been red hot as of late and improve to 20-11, 10-5 SCIAC. They now move into sole possession of 2nd Place within the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Standings and for the second straight season have hit the 20 win milestone.
Game 1 (W, 4-0)
The Bulldogs and Regals were scoreless through four and half innings until Madison Lourenco (Fontana, CA) hit her first career home run, a three-run shot off the left field foul pole. Avery Duran (Corona, CA) and Isabella Culp (Hanford, CA) each scored after drawing a walk and singling to start the inning.
Following the home run, Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA) kept the line moving with a walk and a pair of stolen bases. After a strikeout Bard was able to come home to move the score to 4-0.
Five players had a hit and two players, Duran and Lourenco, each reached base safely twice. Brianna Garcia (Riverside, CA) started and went 4.1 scoreless innings with only two hits and one walk allowed. Ally Forbell (Salinas, CA) finished off the game with 2.2 scoreless frames as she won her third game of the season.
Game 2 (W, 9-6)
Things did not start smoothly in the second game as the Regals opened with a four-run first. The Bulldogs, though, slowly started to chip away, beginning with an RBI-single to third base off the bat of Culp, which plated Kalyn Kershner (Ewa Beach, HI) who reached prior on a base hit to right.
After each team was scoreless in the third, the Bulldogs took the lead in the fourth bringing across four runs on three hits and using a CLU error to go in front 5-4. The inning started with an error at third base, which put Kershner on, which was then followed by a pair of fielder's choices putting two outs on the board. That's when UR rallied with Culp grabbing her second RBI of the game on a double to dead center and after a Lourenco walk, Bard hit a bases clearing inside-the-park home run into right center that put the Maroon and Grey on top.
CLU did not go away quietly however as they reclaimed the lead in their enusing at-bats with a two-run single into right center putting the Bulldogs in a 6-5 deficit heading into the bottom half of the fifth. Much like the fourth, Redlands was able to score another four times to put the game out of reach. During the surge UR totaled four runs on four hits and used another two CLU miscues. Alexis Campos (Lake Forest, CA) started the inning off with a double down the left field line. Kershner followed with a base hit into shallow left center and Paige Messenlehner (Easton, CA) would step in with a double to right center plating both runners. Following an error by the second baseman, which allowed Messenlehner to come around keeping the inning alive Kayla Jackson (Bishop, CA) came in as a pinch runner and caused havoc on the base paths stealing second and then coming around to score the final run of the game due to an error by the shortstop.
The offense was much better in game two as they collected ten hits and two walks with six extra base hits. Campos, Kershner, Culp, and Bard all had two hits.
The pitching was able to work around 11 Regal hits and five walks allowed as they stranded 13 base runners. Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) finished off the game with three shutout innings for her tenth victory of her freshman campaign.
Redlands will get next week off due to commencement. Their next series will be with Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, which will start on Friday, April 28 at 3:00 p.m. at the Field of Dreams.
