MCMINNVILLE, Ore. – The University of Redlands Softball team saw their season come to an end Friday afternoon following a pair of losses (14-0 & 7-0) against No. 4 Linfield University during the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) McMinnville Regional. The Bulldogs managed only four hits across the two games as they dropped the best-of-three-game series.
Game 1 (L, 14-0 | 7-Innings)
The Bulldogs were the designated home team in Game 2 of the series and found themselves down early. After out number one was recorded at first by Alexis Campos (Lake Forest, CA), the next three Linfield batters reached base as they took a 1-0 lead. The second Wildcat run came in on a double steal to make it 2-0. Isabella Culp (Hanford, CA) was able to throw out the runner attempting to steal second, but at the same time the runner at third was able to come in extending the lead.
Redlands threatened in their opening at-bats with Natalie Horton (Palmdale, CA) collecting a lead-off single into center. After a fielder's choice, Kalyn Kershner (Ewa Beach, HI) moved Campos to second on a sacrifice bunt, but the Bulldogs were unable to bring around the runner.
Trailing 4-0, the Bulldogs got their second hit of the game thanks to a Culp leadoff single to left, but two of the next three Bulldogs were strikeout victims with a line out sandwiched in between as the third inning ended.
Linfield pulled away in the fourth scoring eight times to make it 12-0. In response, Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA) kept the bottom of the fourth inning alive with a two-out single to the pitcher, but a strike out would end the inning.
After two more Wildcat runs, the Bulldogs were retired one-two-three in the bottom half of the fifth as they lost due to a run-rule, 14-0.
Brianna Garcia (Riverside, CA) got the start for the Maroon and Grey going 3.0 Innings, giving up five runs on five hits, while she ends 2023 6-4.
Game 2 (L, 7-0)
In the second game of the doubleheader the Wildcats got the scoring started first for the second time on the day as they put up two-runs in their opening at-bats.
The Bulldogs went into the fifth one run away from another run-rule loss as they trailed 7-0 and were without a baserunner to that point. Bard started a rally drawing a walk, Paige Messenlehner (Easton, CA) singled to left field putting UR's first two runners on base. But that's where the threat would end as Linfield's ace was able to get a popup on the infield and then a strikeout looking.
After coming in to relieve Gandara, Garcia got out of the jam to end the fourth and then proceeded to hold Linfield scoreless in the fifth and sixth as the game would come to an end at 7-0.
Garcia threw three shutout innings with only two baserunners allowed as she kept the hopes alive for the Maroon and Grey down the stretch, but Bard (walk) and Messenlehner (single) were the only two players to reach base safely as the offense struggled to get going.
The Bulldogs finish their season 27-17, 14-7 in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play. The 27 wins are the most since 2014 and the back-to-back 20-win season is the first time the program has done so since 2013-2014. Head Coach Jose Ortega becomes only the second coach in program history to lead the Bulldogs to multiple NCAA Championship appearances. Redlands loses key offensive members to graduation, but they retain their entire pitching staff.
