The University of Redlands softball team split a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) doubleheader against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges on Sunday in a rescheduled outing from February 27. The Bulldogs dropped the opener against the Athenas, 3-5, and then won the second game by the same score.
In the first game, Redlands put one on the scoreboard in the opening inning when sophomore third baseman Lindsay Henry (Lake Elsinore, CA) and senior catcher Nicky Neumann (Fremont, CA) hit back-to-back singles with two outs. Henry eventually scored on an error, moving Neumann to third base.
Senior pitcher Olivia Ellis (Colfax, CA) gave up two uncharacteristic doubles in the bottom of the inning, allowing CMS to answer with two runs .
The Athenas later took advantage of a costly Bulldog error in the bottom of the fourth to gain a 3-1 lead.
Not to be outdone, Redlands rallied for two scores to tie it in the top of the sixth with the help of well-timed hits and an Athena error.
But this time, CMS got the last word with a two-run showing in the bottom half of the inning. With sophomore hurler Breanna Ruelas (Brawley, CA) on the mound, the Athenas nailed their third double of the game to plate a run and then later walked in an insurance score.
Despite Henry's leadoff double in the top of the seventh, Redlands struggled to create a comeback opportunity and suffered this year's first loss in conference competition.
The Bulldogs refused to relinquish their spot at the top of the standings and fought back to win the night cap by a score of 5-3. With the victory, they hold a one-game advantage over the Athenas.
Following an RBI-single by second baseman Molly Duran (Corona, CA) in the second inning, Redlands eventually faced a 1-3 deficit going into the top of the seventh.
However, the Maroon and Gray refused to go away. With two outs and two runners on, freshman left fielder Sarah Beeman (Corona, CA) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Henry walked in a run on the ensuing play.
With ducks on the pond, the Bulldogs looked to Neumann to step up to the plate and smash a double to score the tying runs. Junior first baseman Lizett Casillas (Pomona, CA) followed her lead and provided an RBI-single for the winning score in an exciting comeback by the Bulldogs.
Ellis gained the win from the mound with four strikeouts and eight hits.
Neumann went 2-for-3 with two RBI to lead the Bulldogs.
Redlands (16-7, 11-1 SCIAC) hosts regional rival Pacific Lutheran University (WA) on Wednesday in a non-conference doubleheader at 3 p.m. on the Softball Field of Dreams.