REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team (24-13, 14-7 SCIAC) came into senior day needing to sweep Occidental College and Chapman University to get swept by the University of La Verne to win the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Regular Season Championship and the right to host the upcoming SCIAC Tournament. They got the sweep they needed with CU dropping both games on the road and then took Game 1 8-0 over the Tigers. But a 4-1 loss in Game 2 and a doubleheader sweep of Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) ended the SCIAC standings in a three-way tie at the top with Redlands, Chapman, and Claremont-M-S all posting a 14-7 conference record, meaning all three share the SCIAC Regular Season Championship.
The tiebreaker between the three teams went to CMS who was 4-2 in head-to-head meetings. Redlands went 2-1 against the Athenas, but went 1-2 against Chapman, giving them a 3-3 record. Chapman was 2-4 in their head-to-head meeting, so, CMS will be the No. 1 seed and host the SCIAC Tournament next weekend thanks to their key sweep of Chapman. In the tiebreaker for the No. 2 seed Chapman won that due to the head-to-head advantage with the Bulldogs. Redlands will be the No. 3 seed and Pomona-Pitzer will be the No. 4 seed.
Game 1 (W, 8-0, 5-inning)
The first game of the doubleheader went exactly how head coach Jose Ortega wanted, as UR scored five runs in the second inning to all but put the game away.
The scoring started with an infield single from Avery Duran (Corona, CA) who drove in senior Kalyn Kershner (Ewa Beach, HI). Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA) then walked with the bases loaded as Isabella Culp (Hanford, CA) came in after singling to get on base. After a wild pitch made it 3-0, a pair of unearned runs came around on an error at third as the Bulldogs took a 5-0 lead into third.
Redlands' final two runs came in the fourth on a Layla Mendoza (Salinas, CA) single that brought home Kayla Jackson (Bishop, CA) and then Duran brought her RBI total to three with a two-run double into left center as Paige Messenlehner (Easton, CA) and Kershner each scored to end the game with an 8-0 run-rule victory.
Kershner went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs and Duran also had two hits and drove in three of the five RBI's. Brianna Garcia (Riverside, CA) started and threw 4.2 shutout innings for her sixth win of her freshman campaign.
Game 2 (L, 4-1)
Ally Forbell (Salinas, CA) got the start and held the Tigers scoreless for four innings, but the Bulldogs offense was also kept off the scoreboard. A two-run error in the fifth allowed Occidental to take a 2-0 lead.
After a scoreless sixth, the Tigers added their third and fourth runs with a single and a passed ball that allowed an unearned run to score making it 4-1.
Redlands created some pushback in the bottom half of the seventh with senior Annabelle Gutierrez (Gilroy, CA) leading off the frame with a single down the left field line. After a flyout Bard would reach on a bunt single bringing the game-tying run to the plate. After a fielder's choice put two outs on the board, senior Alexis Campos (Lake Forest, CA) provided an infield single to third as Gutierrez scored to put the tying runs on base. Unfortunately, the final out was a popup to short as the Bulldogs fell 4-1.
UR stranded nine runners on the game, while Campos had a 2-for-3 game with a walk and RBI. Forbell gets the tough loss after throwing four innings and not allowing an earned run. Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) threw three innings in relief.
The Bulldogs will enter the SCIAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed and will take on No. 2 Chapman University this Friday, May 12 at Claremont-M-S beginning at 2:30pm. Further details about the SCIAC Tournament will be released on goredlands.com next week.