REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team (18-5, 4-2 SCIAC) took their second straight conference series as they split with Pomona-Pitzer Saturday at the Field of Dreams winning Game 1 6-3 before falling 5-0 in Game 2 despite facing multiple rain-delays and battling the elements.
Game 1 (W, 6-3)
The Bulldogs used a three-run first inning to take command of the game. Despite what would be a great first inning by the Maroon and Grey, it did not start that way.
Starter Paige Ellinger (Temecula, CA) got into some trouble early allowing three-straight singles to start the game before the Sagehens hit into a double play where Paige Messenlehner (Fresno, CA) caught the fly ball in right before throwing home eventually doubling up the runner at third.
Then, after a fourth batter reached base on a hit-by-pitch, Ellinger was able to get a line out right back to the circle that she caught to end the threat.
Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA) led off the bottom of the first for the Bulldogs with a walk and then stole second. After a pop up and ground out, Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) singled up the middle and brought around Bard. Ashley Shelton (Jurupa Valley, CA) then walked before Kassidy Long (Hemet, CA) doubled to left driving in both runners for a 3-0 lead.
Long made it 4-0 in the third on a single that allowed Kayla Jackson (Bishop, CA) to score.
Pomona-Pitzer, though, would stage a comeback in the fifth when they had the bases load with nobody out and one run already across. But Gandara would come out of the bullpen and get a pair of outs on sacrifices that kept the lead intact for the U of R.
The Sagehens then loaded the bases again in the sixth, but Gandara would get a groundout to second to leave the tying and lead runs on base.
In the sixth Jenay Scott (Merced, CA) doubled down the left field line scoring Maya Holshoe (Redlands, CA) and Leila Gomez pushing the final score to 6-3.
Shelton finished 2-for-2, Long was a perfect 3-for-3 and Scott was 2-for-3. Ellinger got her seventh win on the season and Gandara collected her second save in as many days as she threw three shutout innings.
Game 2 (L, 5-0)
Starter Brianna Garcia (Riverside, CA) got into the same trouble in the first inning that Ellinger did in game one as the bases were loaded with no one out after three batters.
Garcia then got a foul out to Kim at third and then she ended the inning with a double play on another fly ball, this time to Bard in left, but the Sagehens were able to score as the final out came after the run crossed the plate.
Pomona-Pitzer scored two more runs in the third both coming on two outs as the Bulldog offense had only two runners reach second base through five innings. In the sixth, though, Messenlehner reached on an error before Gandara singled to left to put runners on first and second with nobody out.
After a fielder's choice kept runners at the same bases, Sophia Magcale (Cerritos, CA) was hit by a pitch as the tying run came to the plate in a 4-0 contest. Unfortunately, Redlands went flyout to right and a line out to third as the threat ended.
The Bulldogs left eight runners on base and had only three singles and one walk drawn.
Garcia went three innings and gave up two earned runs. Kaylen Galaviz (Yuba City, CA) threw two shutout innings as the first out of the bullpen.
The Bulldogs will now prepare for a Top-25 match-up and their final non-conference doubleheader with undefeated No. 3 Linfield University on Wednesday, March 27 with first pitches slated for 12:00pm and 2:00pm.
