The University of Redlands softball team took a break from conference competition to host a doubleheader against the Ithaca College (NY) Bombers on Thursday afternoon during a clear, sunny day at the Field of Dreams. The Bulldogs were put to the test in late innings of each contest and came through heroically, as they corralled walk-off victories by scores of 5-4 and then 7-6 in eight innings.
In game one, the Bombers struck first in the top of the first inning to put immediate pressure on the Bulldogs' offense to respond.
In the bottom of the second inning, freshman pinch-hitter Lali Garza (Granite Bay, CA) stepped in to successfully battle at the plate, dispersing multiple foul balls with a full count. She made the most of her opportunity by putting the Maroon and Gray on the board with a lining, two-RBI single to right field that scored junior left-fielder Grace Rose (Villa Park, CA) and freshman shortstop Shannon Skrzynski (Pomona, CA) for Redlands' 2-1 lead.
After Ithaca answered to go ahead, 4-2, in the top of the fifth inning, the Bulldogs continued to display their gritty determination to rally back once again. Redlands loaded the bases up in the bottom of the sixth inning after junior right-fielder AJ Carrasco (Whittier, CA) and sophomore center-fielder Marissa Romero (Manteca, CA) each notched a base-hit and Rose was walked. Graduate student designated player Amanda Lievanos (Anaheim, CA) drew a free pass to force in a run and trim the score to 3-4. Junior first baseman Vicki King (Thousand Oaks, CA) continued her red-hot hitting by barreling up a laser-shot single through the left side to plate Carrasco for the tying run.
After entering the circle in the fifth inning, junior pitcher Lauren Henson (Highland, CA) quickly retired 3-out-of-4 Ithaca batters to send the game into the bottom of the seventh.
While leading off the bottom of the frame, Skrzynski sealed the deal for the Maroon and Gray by launching an opposite-field bomb that tailed over the right-field fence for the 5-4 walk-off victory.
Henson picked up the victory after tossing 2.2 innings.
King continued to serve as the Bulldogs' offensive foundation while notching a 3-for-4 performance with an RBI. Skrzynski uncorked her first-career homerun while going 1-for-3 with two runs scored. Garza and Lievanos each had an RBI as well.
In the nightcap, Redlands struck first after Lievanos notched a two-out single through the right side and came around to score off the bat of King, who stroked a two-out double to deep left-center field.
Although the Bombers tied it up in the top of the second stanza, Bulldog freshman second baseman Haley Farr (Chino, CA) reached base via walk and kicked it into high gear on the base-paths by swiping second and third base with one out. Freshman third baseman Lauren Hernandez (Littleton, CO) put the bat on the ball and reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Farr to take back the Bulldogs' lead at 2-1.
Redlands expanded its advantage in the following two innings, as poor defensive play by Ithaca allowed Romero to score on a fielder's choice off the bat of Garza, who later came home on a passed ball. King followed with her second RBI of the game with a bullet single up the middle, which sent Carrasco home for a 5-1 lead.
The Bombers went on to score four unanswered runs in the following three innings, forcing extra innings that would be played under the international tiebreaker rules due to impending darkness.
While starting the extra frame with a runner on second base, Ithaca plated one run to grab a 6-5 lead.
Despite facing yet another deficit, the Bulldogs repeated their game-one way of winning in walk-off fashion. This time Lievanos stepped up with a lining single through the right side to plate freshman pinch-runner Beverlee Valerio (Monrovia, CA) and Carrasco for the exciting 7-6 win.
Henson picked up her second win of the day by going the distance and fanning three batters.
King was a perfect 4-for-4 at the dish with two doubles and two RBI. Lievanos had a monstrous day at the plate by going 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore designated player Amanda Ang (Santa Cruz, CA) had a solid showing as well, going 2-for-4.
The Bulldogs (7-9, 3-7) square off against Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) foe Cal Lutheran University (9-10, 9-4 SCIAC) on Saturday, March 14, at the Softball Field of Dreams. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 12 noon.
