CLAREMONT, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team bounced back from a 2-0 loss in Game 1 Sunday to beat Chapman University 2-1 on a walk-off in extra innings in Game 2 and in doing so clinching the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Tournament title and earning the NCAA automatic qualifying bid.
Redlands came into Championship Sunday 2-0 following wins over Chapman University (10-4) and Pomona-Pitzer (5-0) and needed just one win to secure the NCAA Division III National Championship bid. Chapman on the other side of things after their Friday loss to the Bulldogs needed to win four in a row in order to return back to the national stage following their appearance in 2022. They came close to doing it too as they beat Claremont-M-S (7-3) and Pomona-Pitzer (4-1) on Saturday knocking them both out of the tournament. They advanced to the Sunday final needing two more wins. They won Game 1 2-0, but fell short in extra-innings as the Maroon and Grey would pull off the 2-1 walk-off.
For the second time in three years the Bulldogs have qualified for the NCAA Tournament under Head Coach Jose Ortega. This season they were crowned the 2023 Regular Season Co-Champions, which they have now secured for the third straight year along with being crowned the 2023 SCIAC Tournament Champions. Redlands improves to 27-14, 14-7 SCIAC with the 27 wins being the most under Coach Ortega in his tenure and the most in a single season since 2014 when the team went 31-15 under then Head Coach Dani Spaulding. That same year the team won the SCIAC Regular Season Title, were SCIAC Tournament Finalists and were Regional Finalists in the NCAA Tournament.
Game 1 (L, 2-0)
The Bulldogs were held to only three hits in Game 1 as were the Panthers as U of R starter Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) threw six innings with no earned runs allowed. The Panthers scored twice in the fourth as the leadoff hitter reached on an error followed by a pair of fielder's choices, which put two outs on the board. CU was able to capitalize with a pair of two-out base knocks through the right side that plated a pair of runs.
In the sixth the Bulldogs had the tying runners on with two outs after Avery Duran (Corona, CA) was hit by a pitch and Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA) singled to the pitcher, but they both would get left stranded as a popup would end the threat.
A leadoff error by the Panthers in the seventh allowed the Bulldogs three opportunities with the tying run at the plate, but the relief pitcher for Chapman picked up a groundout, strikeout, and a pop-up that ended the game.
Natalie Horton (Palmdale, CA), Kalyn Kershner (Ewa Beach, HI), and Bard each had one of the three hits. Gandara allowed zero earned runs with three strikeouts and no walks in six innings.
Game 2 (W, 2-1 | 10-Innings)
The AQ Bid was up for grabs in Game 2 and Chapman continued where they left off from the first contest getting the scoring started with an RBI-double into center field in the first inning as the Bulldogs would be scoreless in the bottom half of the frame, extending their scoreless inning streak to eight.
The Bulldogs put together a rally in the second as Bard would single to start off the inning. She would then steal second and advance to third on a sacrifice bunt by Isabella Culp (Hanford, CA). Kassidy Long (Hemet, CA) would then score her with a groundball through the right side that evened the score at one after two innings.
After a slow third and fourth innings the Panthers had two on with two outs in the fifth before Gandara forced a ground ball to third for a fielder's choice to get out of the inning.
In the bottom half of the frame UR had two runners in scoring position with one out as Paige Messenlehner (Easton, CA) ended up on third and Horton on second following a base hit and a double. Alexis Campos (Lake Forest, CA) was then intentionally walked to load the bases, but somehow Chapman was able to get out of the inning unscathed as they grabbed a strikeout and a groundout.
In the 10th Chapman had their best opportunity since the fifth inning to score as they put runners at first and second with one away. Gandara, though, got a flyout to left and a lineout to second to strand both runners.
The Redlands offense would take advantage in the bottom half as Horton would start things off with a single to center. Campos put two runners on after getting hit by a pitch and Kershner advanced the winning run to third with a sacrifice bunt. Duran was then intentionally walked with first base open and Bard took advantage with a walk-off single that plated Horton for the 2-1 victory.
Horton had a great game with three hits and the game-winning run as the leadoff hitter. Bard posted the same line as Horton except she had the game-winning RBI and a pair of stolen bases.
Gandara threw 10, one-run innings as she worked around nine hits and four walks as she threw all 30 innings at the tournament and allowed only two earned runs and five walks.
The Bulldogs will now await the selection committee's decision on where they will play and who will be in their regional. The selection show is Monday, May 15 beginning at 10:00am on NCAA.com. Typically, the SCIAC Tournament Champion travels to Texas, but official details on the NCAA Championships will be posted on goredlands.com as they become available.
