Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 The No. 16 University of Redlands softball team celebrated Senior Day with a doubleheader sweep of the visiting Leopards of the University of La Verne on Saturday, winning by scores of 3-2 and 7-5. Despite trailing in both contests, the Bulldogs rallied back to remain in comfortable position at the top of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) standings.
La Verne opened the day with a two-run showing on four hits in the first inning.
However, Redlands created a shift in momentum by getting one run back in the fifth in a strange turn of events. After freshman short stop Linda Park (Torrance, CA) was walked, senior third baseman Molly Duran (Corona, CA) connected on a blooper just past short stop with two outs. With Park on her way to third, ULV's freshman short stop Danielle Vela came up firing but threw the ball away, leading to the unearned run.
The Bulldogs continued to roll in the sixth when senior first baseman Rikki Scates (Redlands, CA) ripped a long single to score sophomore left fielder Janelle Carrasco (Whittier, CA). Park pushed across Scates on a perfectly-placed double to put the Bulldogs in front for the eventual win.
La Verne had its chances in the top of the seventh, but Park made a solid move to snag a line drive for the final out, helping junior pitcher Kayla Uphold (Fontana, CA) get out of a bases-loaded jam.
During the second game, the teams traded runs in the first inning but La Verne put up a three-spot in the top of the third, forcing the Bulldogs to rally back once again.
The Maroon and Gray quickly answered with five runs on four hits in the bottom of the inning. Duran's base-clearing double highlighted the outburst, while Scates and Park also recorded RBI.
After recording her 10th complete-game victory of the season during the opener, Uphold notched her first save with a three-inning performance in the night cap. Senior pitcher Breanna Ruelas (Brawley, CA) earned the game-two win after four innings of work, improving to 11-5 on the season.
Junior centerfield Sarah Beeman (Corona, CA) returned to action after a 24-game hiatus due to injury. She provided a 4-for-6 effort with one RBI and two runs scored to go along with five putouts on the day.
Prior to the first pitch, the Bulldogs honored their seniors in a pregame presentation that highlighted the careers of Scates, Duran, Ruelas, catcher Kai Masutani (Honolulu, HI), utility player Jen Boschken, as well as junior second baseman Arlene Martinez (Corona, CA), who will not return next season.
Redlands (26-8, 18-2 SCIAC) maintains its first-place position in the SCIAC with four games remaining. The Bulldogs host Occidental College on Sunday at 12 noon in a make-up doubleheader from Friday.
