REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team (6-1) swept Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) as they put together a pair of comebacks on Friday at The Field of Dreams winning 4-3 and 7-3.
Game 1 (W, 4-3)
Redlands found themselves down 3-0 after the third inning and were held scoreless through the fifth. But Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) would settle in and threw six innings with four strikeouts.
Leila Jackson (Vallejo, CA) got the offense started in the sixth inning when she hit a leadoff solo shot to dead center. The inning continued with Paige Messenlehner (Fresno, CA) reaching on an error followed by Gandara who would double to right center putting two runners in scoring position. First-year Sophia Magale (Cerritos, CA) would then step in and single on the infield bringing in the game-tying run before moving over to third on a sacrifice bunt and then coming home on a passed ball.
Gandara collected her third win on the season and Paige Ellinger (Temecula, CA) came out of the bullpen to grab her first collegiate save.
Gandara and Magcale each went 2-for-3 with Jackson and Magcale each having an RBI.
Game 2 (W, 7-3)
The Bulldogs were able to get out in front first in the second game of the doubleheader holding a 2-0 lead after three innings thanks to a run in the first and another in the third.
In the first Natalie Horton (Palmdale, CA) singled to second moving Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA), who reached on a double down the left field line to third, but the Lute at second base decided to throw behind Bard allowing her to come in and score with her speed.
In the third another run scored for the Bulldogs as Horton again reached, this time on a fielder's choice, as Scott was out on the force out at second and Adyson Kim (Millbrae, CA) scored from second as the PLU was not aware that Kim was advancing from third after they got the force out.
PLU, though, hit the go-ahead three-run home run in the fifth as the Bulldogs trailed for the first time in the game. The sixth inning, though, was good for the Maroon and Grey once again as they scored five times.
The tying run came with two outs as Isabella Culp (Bayliss, CA) singling to center and Avery Duran (Corona, CA) doubling with no one on and two outs.
The game-winning run came from Ashley Shelton (Jurupa Valley, CA) who hit a pinch hit single into right. Gandara followed that up with a pinch hit two-run double for a 6-3 lead. The final run and out of the inning then came when Bard intentionally got into a run down between first and second, which allowed Scott to come around and score the seventh run.
Seven different Bulldogs had one hit as they left only three runners on base. Brianna Garcia (Riverside, CA) started and threw four one-run innings with a career-high eight strikeouts. Ellinger got her second win of the season as she threw three innings and after giving up the Garcia lead she settled down in the sixth and seventh to secure the win.
Redlands will continue their non-conference schedule as they host York College of Pennsylvania on Wednesday, February 28 with game one of the doubleheader set for 11:00 a.m.
