The 10th-ranked University of Redlands softball team cruised to a doubleheader sweep of Occidental College on Friday afternoon, capturing the opener, 7-3, and then winning game two, 7-1.  With the wins, the Bulldogs remain in second place in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) standings.

It was a pitchers' duel in the opener, with neither team able to get any runs across through the first four innings.  The U of R exploded in the bottom of the fifth inning, however, scoring six runs.  Junior second baseman Amanda Clark (Riverside, CA) and freshman left-fielder Grace Rose (Villa Park, CA) got things started by leading off the inning with back-to-back base hits to the shortstop.  Two batters later, senior center-fielder Sarah Beeman (Corona, CA) ripped a two-RBI double to left field, scoring both Clark and Rose.

Later in the frame, sophomore designated player Nikoli Sharp (Lincoln, CA) registered an RBI-single, while junior catcher Kristen Hooper (Riverside, CA) added a two-RBI double to cap off the impressive fifth frame for Redlands.

While the Tigers pulled three back in the top of the sixth, the Maroon and Gray tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the frame, helping secure the triumph for Redlands.

Senior pitcher Kayla Uphold (Fontana, CA) was phenomenal from the circle for the Bulldogs, throwing five innings while allowing just one hit in her fifth inning of work.  She also struck out four batters while allowing no runs.  Freshman pitcher Lauren Henson (Highland, CA) closed the game out for the Bulldogs, going the final two frames while allowing five hits and three runs.

At the dish, Beeman recorded a 3-for-4 performance with two RBI and two runs scored, while sophomore third baseman Linda Park (Torrance, CA) also notched three hits in the opener.  Additionally, Sharp tallied two hits and two RBI.

The Bulldogs jumped on top early in the nightcap, scoring two runs in the first inning.  Both Beeman and Sharp laced RBI-singles in the frame.

The U of R added one in the second and three in the third inning to make it a 6-0 advantage.  Sharp and Park led off the third frame with consecutive doubles, and Park came in to score later in the inning on an RBI base-knock by Clark.  Freshman right-fielder AJ Carrasco (Whittier, CA) provided her first RBI of the day to cap off the impressive inning when she singled to left field.

That would be all the Maroon and Gray would need as the pitching was once again dominant for Redlands in game two.  Sharp went the distance for the Bulldogs, dispersing just four hits and allowing only one run in her fourth win of the season.

At the plate, Carrasco went 3-for-4 with one RBI, while Clark went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and one RBI.

The Bulldogs (25-7, 15-5 SCIAC) return to action tomorrow afternoon when they take on the Poets of Whittier College in a doubleheader at the Softball "Field of Dreams."  First pitch on Senior Day is scheduled for 12 p.m.