The No. 25 University of Redlands softball team kept it simple yet effective on Friday and captured a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) doubleheader sweep of Occidental College in Eagle Rock. With the help of a five-inning outburst that included a trio of doubles, the Bulldogs posted a 7-0 victory in the opening contest. The second game saw freshman pitcher Gabrielle Sciuto (Poway, CA) throw a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts en route to a 4-0 performance by the Maroon and Gray.
After three scoreless innings in game one, Redlands pushed across a run when sophomore hurler Kayla Uphold (Fontana, CA) crushed a double to left-center field.
During the fifth inning, the Bulldogs continued to "see double" as freshman center fielder Janelle Carrasco (Whittier, CA), junior designated player Rikki Scates (Redlands, CA) and freshman right fielder Amanda Lievanos (Anaheim, CA) all connected on two-baggers for RBI. In addition, Uphold knocked in the fifth run of the inning with a hard-driven single.
The sixth inning included back-to-back doubles by freshman shortstop Amanda Clark (Riverside, CA) and Carrasco, which was her third of the game, resulting in the team's seventh run.
From the circle, Uphold finished with the win after scattering two hits and striking out three in a complete-game showing.
During the nightcap, Redlands gained an RBI-single by Lievanos in the third inning and never looked back.
The team cranked out 12 hits, including doubles by Scates and junior second baseman Molly Duran (Corona, CA).
Occidental's only knock came in the bottom of the seventh. Otherwise, Scuito faced the minimum in four innings.
Despite the wins, Redlands (29-9, 17-5 SCIAC) slips into a tie for second place after the University of La Verne swept Whittier College in today's doubleheader. The Bulldogs head to La Verne for Saturday's twin bill against the Leopards at 12 noon.
