WHITTIER, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team (14-7, 4-1) swept their road doubleheader with Whittier College Saturday afternoon with a 5-4 win in 10-Innings followed by a 6-3 victory in Game 1 as they completed the three-game series sweep of the Poets.
Game 1 (W, 5-4 | 10-Innings)
The Bulldogs jumped on top early with a run thanks to an RBI double from Alexis Campos (Lake Forest, CA) in the third as Natalie Horton (Palmdale, CA) scored the opening run. Adyson Kim (Millbrae, CA) made it 2-0 in the fourth as Layla Mendoza (Salinas, CA) came around to score following another base knock. That same inning Horton added an RBI to her afternoon with a triple to left center scoring Kim.
The Poets would make it a game in the fifth, though, as they scored twice to get within one, 3-2. Two innings later in the seventh, they received a two-out RBI-single into center from Brooks as they tied the game at three. Reliever Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) got a groundout to end the threat as the teams headed to extras.
There was only one hit in the eighth and ninth innings as the teams stayed deadlocked at three. Then in the 10th Avery Duran (Corona, CA) scored Campos for a 4-3 lead. After a Kalyn Kershner (Ewa Beach, HI) single put runners on second and third, Madison Lourenco (Fontana, CA) grounded out to the short stop plating Duran for the eventual game-winning run, and a 5-3 lead.
The Poets got a run back with a one out RBI-double in their at-bats, but Gandara closed out the game with a lineout and a groundout to secure the season-series for UR after their home win Friday afternoon.
The top of the order, Horton and Campos, had five of the 10 hits with two of the five runs scored and an RBI. Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA) went 1-for-3 with two walks.
In the circle Brianna Garcia (Riverside, CA) started and allowed only one earned run in five innings as she exited with a 3-2 lead. Kassidy Long (Hemet, CA) struck out one across 1.1 innings, and Gandara got her sixth win of the season after throwing 3.2 innings.
Game 2 (W, 6-3)
Redlands went ahead for the second straight game as they made it 1-0 in the first capitalizing on a base hit from Campos and a walk to Horton. The Poets quickly got the run back in the bottom half of the inning as the game stayed tied at one until the third.
In the third, Duran singled home Horton for a 2-1 lead. Horton started a two-out rally with no one on base as she singled to center. Campos followed with an infield single in front of Duran who found the outfield grass for the Bulldogs' third-straight two-out hit.
In the fifth Annabelle Gutierrez (Gilroy, CA) drove in Campos, who walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch, before coming in on the Gutierrez double to left field that extended the lead to two, 3-1.
The final blow for the Poets came from Gandara who hit a pinch hit, game-winning two-run home run to center field, her first collegiate home run, as she drove in pinch runner Kayla Jackson (Bishop, CA) for a 5-1 lead. The sixth and final run came from Bard who had an infield single and scored Duran in the seventh.
Whittier tried to make a comeback in the seventh putting the first three batters on and were able to bring one in. After multiple changes, Gandara was able to get the next three outs while only allowing one more run to score as the Bulldogs completed the three-game sweep with a 6-3 win.
Campos, Duran, Gutierrez, and Bard each had two hits. Redlands had a balanced offense with 10 hits, five walks, and five strikeouts while leaving only seven players on base. Whittier on the other hand, had 11 hits and stranded 11 runners.
Ally Forbell (Salinas, CA) made her second collegiate start and first SCIAC start as she went five innings, allowing only one run, and picking up her second win on the season.
The Bulldogs will have the same schedule next week as they host Pomona-Pitzer at home on Friday, March 31 at 3:00 p.m. before traveling to Claremont, CA on Saturday, April 1 for a doubleheader.