REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team picked up a split with No. 12 Linfield University Saturday along with one of the biggest upsets in program history.
The Bulldogs played their best softball on the season thus far improving 2-3 as they gave the former Division III National Champion Wildcats a tough battle all afternoon at the Field of Dreams.
Redlands nearly pulled off the sweep falling 1-0 in extra-innings in Game 1, before walking off in a 4-3 win in Game 2.
Game 1 (L, 1-0 | 8-Innings)
Redlands earned a solid start from Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) who threw seven shutout innings keeping UR in it as they mustered only one hit on offense. In the eighth inning, playing international rules where a runner is placed on second base the Wildcats were able to capitalize using a sacrifice bunt and a Bulldog miscue to bring in the eventual game-winning run.
In the bottom half of the frame the Bulldogs went 1-2-3 falling 1-0 despite Gandara not allowing an earned run in eight innings. The lone hit on the game for UR came off the bat of Kalyn Kershner (Ewa Beach, CA) who drove a ball to center.
Game 2 (W, 4-3)
A lot of offense occurred in the second game with both teams combining for seven runs and 13 hits with the Bulldogs collecting eight of them. Alexis Campos (Lake Forest, CA) got the scoring started with a homerun to center field, but it was not a typical homerun you would see as it never left the park. Her line drive bounced in front of the diving centerfielder and rolled to the wall, allowing her to score on an inside-the-park home run.
Linfield roared back with three runs in the top half of the second inning to go ahead 3-1 using an error and a single. In the bottom of the third, transfer Layla Mendoza (Salinas, CA) collected her biggest hit wearing the Maroon and Grey, which was her second collegiate home run, which was a solo shot to left field. That same inning Campos tripled to right center and was brought in by Kershner who sent a sacrifice fly to deep center.
After scoreless innings turned in by the pitchers on each side in the fourth through the sixth, the Bulldogs started the bottom half of the seventh with a walk from Adyson Kim (Millbrae, CA). Mendoza then moved Kim to second on a sacrifice bunt, Campos singled to center field, advancing Kim to third and she would eventually come in on another sacrifice fly from Kershner, this time to right field.
Kassidy Long (Hemet, CA) came on in relief in the second inning and threw 5.1 scoreless innings to pick up her first win of the season. Campos had three of the eight Bulldog hits as she went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Campos was also a part of one of the two Bulldog double plays.
The Bulldogs return to the diamond next Friday, February 24 with a home game against the University of La Verne beginning at 2:00 p.m. This will begin a three-game series with the Leopards and the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) schedule.