WHITTIER, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team continued their winning ways inside Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play Friday afternoon with a 7-4 road win at Whittier College.
The Maroon and Grey improve to 8-4, 4-0 SCIAC, while the Poets drop to 3-4, 0-1 SCIAC.
The Bulldogs flipped the script by getting ahead early 6-1 and got the win thanks to a complete game from Danielle Stallings (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) and a pair of runs batted in from Collette Allen (Sierra Madre, CA).
Redlands opened the game with an RBI-double in their opening at-bats from Sierra Daley (Torrance, CA) who went to left center driving in Paige Messenlehner (Fresno, CA). Then in the third UR tacked on another capitalizing on a Poet error by the third baseman allowing Allen to come in and score off a shallow pop fly from Messenlehner.
Whittier finally got on the scoreboard in their at-bats in the third thanks to a two-out single from Soto, but after that it was all Redlands putting up a four spot in the fourth coming on three hits. Daley started the inning off with a double to dead center and Stallings followed with a walk that put two runners on. Kalyn Kershner (Ewa Beach, HI) then stepped in and found her groove offensively with a double through the left side bringing in one, and Whittier native Kayla Rivas (Whittier, CA) stepped in and doubled to left driving home the Bulldogs' fourth run. But the inning continued as Alexa Yarbro (Murrieta, CA) drove home Kershner for what would be the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly to right, followed by an infield base hit from Allen that helped extend the lead to 6-1.
Allen recorded her second RBI on a single to right field in the sixth inning bringing in an insurance run and that's all the Bulldogs would need as Whittier would attempt a late comeback plating a run across the final three innings.
Allen (2-for-4 with a double, run scored, and two RBIs), Messenlehner (1-for-3, one walk, and one run scored), Daley (2-for-3, a walk, one RBI, and run scored), and Stallings (1-for-3, with a walk, and run scored) all reached base multiple times.
In the circle Stallings picked up her sixth win on the season as she went the distance giving up four runs on eleven hits, while striking out four and walking one.
The Bulldogs and Poets continue their three-game series with a doubleheader at The Field of Dreams tomorrow, March 5 with first pitches slated for 12:00pm and 2:00pm.