The University of Redlands softball team traveled to the University of La Verne on Saturday to take on the Leopards in a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) doubleheader. In a tale of two games, the Bulldogs scored four runs in the seventh inning to win the opener, 5-1, but slipped in game two, 0-8.
After La Verne scored on a solo shot in the third inning, both teams demonstrated solid pitching and awesome defense, as the score remained 0-1 through five innings.
The Maroon and Gray matched the single run on one hit in the top of the sixth. Junior catcher Nova Siegel (Fairfield, CA) led off with a base hit to center before junior Julianne Rodriguez (Thousand Oaks, CA) stepped in as a pinch runner. She subsequently stole second and took third on a Leopard miscue. Senior first baseman Olivia Vierra's (Burlingame, CA) sacrifice fly to center plated Rodriguez for the equalizing run.
In the seventh, with one out, sophomore left fielder Jaci Sanchez (Lakewood, CA) and senior designated player Elise Ramirez (Redlands, CA) knocked back-to-back singles for a runner in scoring position. Now with two outs, junior right fielder Jennifer Ng (Pleasanton, CA) hammered a bases-clearing double to right field for the Bulldogs' 3-1 lead. After a pitching change and a ULV error, senior shortstop Ursyla Baumgarten (Penngrove, CA) and Siegel combined efforts with two more base knocks for an RBI each and the Maroon and Gray's 5-1 advantage.
With junior starting pitcher Lindsey Mifsud (Belmont, CA) still going strong in the circle, she faced four batters in the seventh, with her second out coming off a strikeout. A routine fly-out secured the Bulldogs' 5-1 victory over the Leopards.
First-year pitcher Jocelyn Hernandez (Downey, CA) took the circle for game two and pitched a quick first two innings, combing for three punch-outs.
However, La Verne knocked four big hits in the third to put the Bulldogs in a five-run hole.
After sophomore pitcher Nicole Stanzione (San Marcos, CA) entered the game and secured the last out of the third, the Leopards added two more runs in the fourth for a 7-0 lead. ULV ended the game on a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to hand Redlands a tough loss.
The Bulldogs (13-15, 8-8 SCIAC) continue SCIAC action with a doubleheader against Occidental College at the Field of Dreams on Saturday, April 7, at 12 noon.