Despite a hot start to the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) doubleheader, the University of Redlands softball team suffered a pair of losses to Whittier College on Friday afternoon.  The Bulldogs faltered to the Poets by scores of 4-11 and 1-10.

To start the opening game, the Bulldogs made an early statement when sophomore centerfielder Sam Rivas (Whittier, CA) uncorked her third home run of the season and the 10th of her young career.   

However, the Poets answered with two runs in the bottom of the first.

But the Maroon and Gray answered with three scores of its own in the third to snag a 4-2 advantage. At the top of the lineup, senior second baseman Julianne Rodriguez (Thousand Oaks, CA) began the inning with a single but made it all the way to third on a Whittier error. Junior left fielder Jaci Sanchez (Lakewood, CA) also singled up the middle to bring in Rodriguez. After senior catcher Nova Siegel (Fairfield, CA) reached on a fielder's choice, first-year first baseman Tyesen Gordon (Lathrop, CA) doubled down the left-field line to push Siegel to third. On the final at-bat of the inning, first-year third baseman Jessica Torosian (Thousand Oaks, CA) blasted a two-RBI single for the Bulldogs' go-ahead runs.

But Redlands' bats went quiet for the remainder of the game, as the Poets took control with a crooked number in the bottom of the third and then tacked on more in the fourth and fifth.

Although the Bulldogs generated two hits in the top of the seventh, the runners were left stranded, resulting in a 4-11 loss in game one.

Rodriguez, Rivas, and Sanchez each registered two hits as the first three hitters in the lineup.

In the second game, the Poets jumped on the board early with a five-run lead after two innings. First-year designated player Aya Smith (Redlands, CA) made up a run in the fourth frame with a sacrifice fly, but Whittier closed the game out strong to take the win. 

Redlands (14-18, 8-12 SCIAC) jumps right back into SCIAC action at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Saturday, April 13, with a 12 p.m. doubleheader.