REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team came away with their biggest Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) series sweep Saturday afternoon at "The Field of Dreams" taking both games of a doubleheader against the University of La Verne 6-1 and 5-4 moving them into 1st Place within the conference standings.
Kalyn Kershner (Ewa Beach, HI) put the Bulldogs on her back tossing her second straight complete game in Game 1 before coming in relief in Game 2 to pick up her third win on the weekend as the Bulldogs came back to win in extras.
Redlands has now hit the twenty-win mark for the first time since the 2016 season when they finished 26-16, 16-12 SCIAC. Right now they are 20-11, 13-5 SCIAC and currently sit a game ahead of Claremont-M-S (19-16, 12-6 SCIAC) and three games ahead of the third place team Chapman University (22-8, 10-5 SCIAC). The Bulldogs also extended their winning streak to seven games and have gone 8-1 here in the month of April.
"What a great weekend for Bulldog Softball," explained Head Coach Jose Ortega. "We were without Danielle Stallings and Kalyn Kershner stepped up in a big way. There were a lot of great at-bats up and down the lineup and amazing defensive plays all over the field. It was a great way for us to be able to go into next weekend where we can celebrate our graduating seniors."
Game 1 (W, 6-1)
The Bulldogs got ahead early in the first game of the doubleheader with a solo shot to right field coming from Kayla Rivas (Whittier, CA), her first of the season. Sierra Daley (Torrance, CA) then added another in the bottom half of the third when she singled home Alexis Campos (Lake Forest, CA) moving the score to 2-0.
The Bulldogs added insurance in the fifth thanks to an RBI groundout from Kershner. Then in the sixth UR put the game out of reach bringing across three runs on three hits. Isabella Culp (Hanford, CA) and Paige Messenlehner (Fresno, CA) started the inning off with a pair of base hits and then advanced into scoring position due to a wild pitch. Campos then loaded the bases reaching on an error by the third baseman and after that the floodgates opened with Collette Allen (Sierra Madre, CA) scoring one on a fielder's choice, Tyesen Gordon (Lathrop, CA) driving in another with a base hit through the left side and Daley driving in another with the second fielder's choice of the inning.
Gordon (2-for-4) and Culp (2-for-2, one walk) each got on multiple times to lead the Bulldogs to a 10-hit performance. In the circle Kershner followed up a five-inning complete game shutout Friday afternoon on the road with a seven-inning, one-run complete game while tying a season-high with six strikeouts. She improves to 5-6 on the season.
Game 2 (W, 5-4 | 9 Innings)
Gordon put the Bulldogs on top first in Game 2 with an RBI single on the infield that plated Campos who reached to leadoff the inning with a double down the left field line. But this advantage went away quickly as Redlands found themselves trailing for the first time in the series 4-1. In the bottom half of the third Allen cut the deficit in half with her 12th home run of the season, a solo shot into the bushes in left field. Allen is now only one home run shy of tying the single-season record of 13 held by Bulldog Hall of Famer Amanda Lievanos from 2012.
After a scoreless fourth, the Bulldogs got another run back thanks to a sacrifice fly from Kershner that scored pinch runner Brooks McVicker (Fort Collins, CO).
Then in the bottom half of the seventh facing a one-run deficit and one out the Bulldogs got some luck on their side with Allen reaching third due to a dropped fly ball in right field. The very next batter Gordon was robbed by the Leopards shortstop of the game-tying hit with a diving stop that held Allen at third, which also put two outs on the scoreboard. It then came down to Daley, who faced a 1-2 count, but she battled the nerves coming up with a one hopper down just inside the third base line that plated the game-tying run forcing extras.
In the eighth inning both teams traded singles but neither were able to do anything with them. Kershner worked around a pair of singles in the top half of the ninth, receiving a great double play from Annabelle Gutierrez (Gilroy, CA), which ended the threat. In the bottom half of the inning the Maroon and Grey created fireworks with Campos doubling down the right field line getting into scoring position. Two batters later Gordon would switch spots with her walking off with a double to right center bring the Bulldog Nation to their feet.
The Bulldogs again had a balanced attack with seven players reaching base safely. They were led by the three-hit game by Daley, the pair of doubles from Campos, and the two-hit day for Allen, Gordon, and Rivas.
In the circle Campos got the start, going three innings with two earned runs and two strikeouts. Kershner then finished the game with six shutout innings as she picked up her third win of the series and evened her record at 6-6. Over the three games Kershner threw 18 innings allowing just one run.
The Bulldogs have next week off as they prepare to host Occidental College on Friday, April 29 at "The Field of Dreams" beginning at 3:00pm. Prior to the game Redlands will recognize their five seniors. The next day on Saturday, April 30 the Bulldogs will travel into Los Angeles, CA for a doubleheader beginning at 12:00pm and 2:00pm.
