The University of Redlands softball team split results during this weekend's four-game outing and slid into second place in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) standings.
On Friday, the Bulldogs nabbed two games from the University of La Verne, winning 8-4 and 4-1 on the road.
But playing at home on Saturday did not yield the same outcome for the Maroon and Gray as No. 18 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges silenced the Bulldog bats while handing them back-to-back conference losses by scores of 1-7 and 2-10.
In Friday's twinbill in La Verne, Redlands gained a 4-0 advantage in the opening inning and never relinquished control.
After senior center fielder Kayla Peterson (San Jose, CA) ignited the offense with her double to lead off the inning, sophomore third baseman Lindsay Henry (Lake Elsinore, CA) connected on an RBI-single to bring her home. With the bases loaded, junior first baseman Lizett Casillas (Pomona, CA) pounded a single to plate Henry and freshman shortstop Kirsten Milliner (Torrance, CA). Following a passed ball to move Casillas to second and senior catcher Nicky Neumann (Fremont, CA) to third, sophomore right fielder Breanna Ruelas (Brawley, CA) grounded out but brought home Neumann in the process.
Despite giving up single scores each in the first and third innings, the Bulldogs capitalized on sophomore second baseman Molly Duran's (Corona, CA) first homer of her career as she also scored senior designated player Amanda Doeppel (Monrovia, CA) from first base.
With a 6-2 lead, Redlands continued to press offensively during the fifth inning. After Milliner and Henry both singled, Neumann scored Milliner on an RBI-single for the team's seventh run of the game.
During the seventh inning, Redlands put up an insurance run when Henry scored on a fielder's choice after doubling to left center.
The Leopards rallied for two runs on a shot over the fence in the bottom of the inning, but it was not enough to overcome the Bulldogs.
For the Maroon and Gray, Casillas racked up three RBI on a 1-for-4 showing at the plate while Henry went 3-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored.
Senior pitcher Olivia Ellis (Colfax, CA) notched her 13th win of the season in seven innings of work. She struck out two while scattering six hits.
In game two, Redlands jumped out to a two-run lead in the first inning and cruised to victory by a score of 4-1 on just seven hits.
Milliner stepped up with a 2-for-3 performance with two RBI and one run scored. Henry and Neumann continued their solid outings of the day with one RBI each.
Ruelas earned the win from the circle in a complete game. She allowed just one earned run on six hits.
Unfortunately, Friday's momentum did not carry over to Saturday as the Bulldogs dropped two consecutive conference games for the first time since April 20, 2008.
After blasting home runs in the first inning of both games on Saturday, the Redlands bats fell quiet to a tenacious Claremont-Mudd-Scripps squad.
In the first game, Henry stroked a long ball to left field for Redlands' only score.
During the nightcap, Peterson led off the first inning with a shot over the right-field fence.
However, this impressive feat did nothing to deter the Athenas from their game plan, as they consistently put up runs and made solid defensive plays en route to their victories over the Bulldogs.
The Maroon and Gray mustered 13 total hits but left 15 runners on base in the doubleheader.
Redlands' Ellis took the loss in the opener, allowing 11 hits while striking out nine batters.
Ruelas suffered the defeat in the second game, pitching only 1.1 innings and giving up five runs. Doeppel came in as the reliever but also allowed five runs in the Bulldogs' losing effort.
With Saturday's results, Redlands (22-10, 15-3 SCIAC) slips into second place in the standings, sitting one game behind CMS (25-5, 16-2 SCIAC).
The Bulldogs look to rebound on Wednesday when they travel to non-conference rival Chapman University for a 5 p.m. doubleheader against the Panthers.
