REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team (13-3, 1-0 SCIAC) beat the University of La Verne in their Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) opener 9-1 in five innings as they scored four in the third and fourth innings Friday afternoon.

Starting pitcher Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed leadoff hitter Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA) to score for the early 1-0 lead.

The Leopards got the run right back in the top of the second as they scored on an RBI-single through the right side.

Bard would score what would become the game-winning run in the third when she took the final 60 feet on a wild pitch. Gandara then earned her second RBI on another single as Leila Jackson (Vallejo, CA), who had walked, scored. Paige Messenlehner (Fresno, CA) would double home Kayla Jackson (Bishop, CA) and advanced home herself on an error in center as it was 5-1 Bulldogs after three.

In the fourth Natalie Horton (Palmdale, CA) hit a two-run triple that made it 7-1 as Bard and Jenay Scott (Merced, CA) both came around. The third and fourth runs of the inning came off another triple, this one from L. Jackson, and then a second RBI-single from Gandara.

Gandara worked around a two-out single in the fifth as she picked up win number seven allowing one run with no walks on only 64 pitches. At the plate she finished 2-for-2 with three RBI's.

At the top of the order Bard was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two stolen bases and Horton also had two hits and two RBI's.

Redlands will head on the road for the first time this season as they need only one win from the doubleheader, which starts at noon tomorrow, Saturday, March 16 in La Verne, for the series win.