The University of Redlands softball team returned to the friendly confines of the "Field of Dreams" on Friday afternoon to face off against Chapman University in a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) doubleheader. After the first game was forced into the eighth inning, freshman second baseman Haley Farr (Chino, CA) stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded to launch a walk-off grand slam for the 8-3 Bulldog victory. The momentum stayed with the Maroon and Gray in game two, as graduate student Amanda Lievanos (Anaheim, CA) and junior third baseman Addie Oeleis (Temecula, CA) uncorked opening-frame dingers to put Redlands ahead early in the eventual 9-1 victory.
Game one started off well for the visiting Panthers, as they successfully loaded the bases in each of the first two innings. But the Bulldogs stymied their offense on both occasions, with sophomore pitcher Courtney Ludlow (Petaluma, CA) gaining great support from the defense behind her.
The teams pushed across two runs each during the third frame, tying it up at the midway point of the game. For Redlands, Lievanos fired off a deep foul ball for a sacrifice fly to plate junior left-fielder Grace Rose (Villa Park, CA). But an error on the Panther catcher allowed a speedy junior right-fielder AJ Carrasco (Whittier, CA) to cross home plate as well, bringing the score back to an even tally in the bottom of the inning.
The game continued without another run, forcing an extended competition.
In the top of the eighth, the Panthers took advantage of an infield miscommunication on a rolling bunt to take 3-2 lead.
But the Bulldogs answered in the bottom of the inning, as sophomore designated player Amanda Ang (Santa Cruz, CA) connected on an RBI-single with runners on first and third. She plated senior Aisha Salami (Gardena, CA), who pinch-ran for Lievanos and stole second, before moving to third on a single by junior first baseman Vicki King (Thousand Oaks, CA).
With the score knotted once again, Redlands juiced the bases on an Oeleis single, which set up the big-time opportunity for Farr. After working the count, she blasted a high-flying homerun over the left-center fence for the walk-off grand slam, making this a memorable first long ball in her Maroon and Gray uniform.
Despite racking up 14 hits, the Panthers were held to three runs while stranding 13 on base.
Junior pitcher Lauren Henson (Highland, CA) came in for starter Ludlow after three innings and collected the win for the Bulldogs.
In game two, Redlands jumped on the scoreboard early, when Carrasco came home on a wild pitch after leading off the frame with a stand-up triple. Two batters later, Lievanos rocketed a shot over the left-center fence to score two runs for the Bulldogs' 3-0 advantage while forcing an early pitching change by Chapman.
With a runner on second, Oeleis maintained the team's offenisve rhythm by rattling the scoreboard with her first-career homerun.
Although the Panthers fired off a homerun of their own in the bottom of the frame, Redlands continued to push runs across and eventually grabbed the eight-run victory in the bottom of the fifth. Leading by seven, Redlands looked to Farr for the winning run, as she was walked, advanced to second on an unsuccessful fielder's choice, and then made it to third on a wild pitch. Carrasco connected on a fly-ball that bounced off of the left-fielder's glove, allowing Farr to come home on the error for the 9-1 Bulldog triumph.
Carrasco finished the game with a 3-for-4 showing at the plate that included two RBI and two runs scored.
After pitching the first four innings, Henson improved to 3-4 on the season with her second win of the day.
Redlands (5-7, 3-5 SCIAC) takes to the road on Saturday, March 7, for an important SCIAC twin bill against the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges Athenas, beginning at 12 noon.
