After an uncharacteristic 2015 season that left the University of Redlands softball squad out of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Postseason Tournament for the first time since the event's inception, the Bulldogs made a return appearance in 2016 as the No. 3-seed en route to a solid season. While compiling an overall record of 26-16 and a conference mark of 16-12, the Bulldogs utilized their skilled veterans, including two-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American AJ Carrasco (Whittier, CA), and talented newcomers for a lethal combination on the diamond.
The Maroon and Gray immediately snagged a handful of wins by posting series sweeps over Trinity University (TX) Tigers and the Chapman University Panthers in mid-February.
In the two-game series against in-region foe, Trinity, senior first baseman Vicki King (Thousand Oaks, CA) hit the ground running in her final campaign by providing four RBI in the home opener, including a bases-clearing triple in the bottom of the third inning. The Bulldogs came out on top in the 10-6 game-one victory, as freshman starter Mika Imoto (Vista, CA) earned her inaugural collegiate victory on the mound by going the distance and fanning three batters.
The Bulldogs continued to roll in the conference opener with two big wins over the Panthers by the final scores of 6-3 and 6-5. In the game-one victory, freshman right-fielder Jennifer Ng (Pleasanton, CA) and senior catcher Dani Santos (West Covina, CA) provided the power, with each launching two-run dingers en route to the win. Freshman hurler Jessica Doss (Sa Mateo, CA) earned her first collegiate victory in the circle after tossing four innings and recording a trio of punch-outs.
The Bulldogs' success continued with three more victories in February, as highlighted by a 9-7 edge over the defending SCIAC champions from Whittier College. Redlands rode two, three-run innings in the opening two frames of the game to cruise to the victory. Sophomore shortstop Shannon Skrzynski (Pomona, CA) and sophomore first baseman Ursyla Baumgarten (Penngrove, CA) recorded consecutive RBI-singles in the first inning for the 3-0 lead. Junior right-fielder Amanda Ang (Santa Cruz, CA) followed suit in the next inning with an RBI two-bagger and touched home a batter later off a two-run blast from King to lead to the 9-7 win.
After dropping the series to the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges Athenas in early March, Redlands responded by rattling off five-consecutive wins, which began with a conference sweep over the Occidental College Tigers in nail-biting fashion. Despite failing to notch a hit in game one, the Bulldogs squeaked out a 2-1 victory due to solid pitching and heads-up base-running. Carrasco led off the top of the first with a walk and promptly stole second. She then came around to score on a wild pitch, putting the Bulldogs up by a run. In the bottom of the fifth, freshman catcher Tawney Lilley (Alta Loma, CA) blasted a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Skrzynski to cross home for the 2-0 lead. Although the Tigers cut the deficit to one, freshman pitcher Lindsey Mifsud (Belmont, CA) closed the door in the seventh inning for the complete-game victory.
In game two, the Bulldogs needed an extra frame to get the job done by completing the sweep in another 2-1 decision. After being blanked on the hitting front in game one, the Bulldogs responded with nine hits that led to a pair of runs. After allowing a Tiger run in the top of the third inning, Redlands got to work in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the ball game off an RBI-double from freshman pinch-hitter Hayley Romo (Port Orchard, WA), which plated junior pinch-runner Marissa Romero (Manteca, CA). In the following inning, a defensive miscue on a ball laced to the first baseman by Lilley allowed Ang to come around to score the winning run.
The Bulldogs followed with a series sweep against the University of Dallas (TX), defeating the squad by the final scores of 5-4 and 9-0 (5 inn.). In the mercy-rule win, the Bulldogs notched 11 base-knocks to earn their nine runs. Carrasco crossed the plate twice by going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and a walk. Senior left-fielder Grace Rose (Villa Park, CA) flexed her strength at the plate by going 3-for-4 with three RBI and one run scored. Senior hurler Lauren Henson (Riverside, CA) was nearly untouchable in the circle by going the distance and scattering just four hits.
A week later, the Bulldogs kept things rolling by handling DePauw University (IN) in a series sweep by the final scores of 11-3 (6 inn.) and 8-5. In the opening game, the Bulldogs moved into double digits in the hitting category, with King leading the way off of a 2-for-2 showing that included a three-run bomb. Baumgarten followed suit by blasting a two-run homerun in the same inning to result in a 2-for-2 day at the dish as well. Henson earned the victory after tossing four strong innings, while Doss slammed the door with two strikeouts in the final two frames.
After notching a series sweep against Westminister College (MO) to round out March action, the Bulldogs put together a 9-3 showing during the month of April to secure their spot in the tournament.
Redlands began the home stretch of the regular season with a doubleheader split against the University of La Verne Leopards, winning the second game by the final score of 3-2. Henson led the squad to victory in the circle by allowing one run off nine hits and relying on her defense to get her outs. King kicked off the scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly to left field, which scored sophomore third baseman Summer Smith (Redlands, CA). Imoto muscled up for a two-run bomb the following half-inning to score Smith once again en route to the exciting victory.
After dropping the first game of a doubleheader to the Cal Lutheran University Regals, the Bulldogs went on a seven-game winning streak that included series sweeps over Whittier, Occidental, and Chapman. The Bulldogs scored 52 runs to their opponents' 10, proving their late-season dominance on both sides of the diamond.
As a result of their efforts against conference foes, the Bulldogs earned the No. 3-seed in the SCIAC Postseason Tournament. Unfortunately, the Maroon and Gray dropped their first two games on day one to abruptly end their season.
Despite the early exit, the Bulldogs improved their overall record by seven games in Head Coach Dani Spaulding's third year at the helm.
Upon conclusion of the season, the Bulldogs landed six members of their squad on the All-SCIAC teams. King and Carrasco represented the Bulldogs on the First Team, while Rose, Santos, and Henson each earned Second-Team honors. Furthermore, Smith gained Redlands' spot on the SCIAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
Additionally, Carrasco received multiple honors after leaving her legacy throughout the Bulldog record books. She was named a NFCA All-American, a HERO Sports All-American, and an NFCA All-Region First-Team selection.
Furthermore, Rose was named to the CoSIDA All-District Academic team as well.
Although the loss of this talented senior class is significant, Redlands strives to build upon the solid foundation of recent success to return to the top of the SCIAC and beyond. With an incredibly skilled pitching staff and an experienced crew of returning players leading the charge, the Maroon and Gray looks forward to the next chapter in the illustrious story that is Bulldog softball.