REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team (23-8, 9-3 SCIAC) walked-off Friday afternoon winning their Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) game against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS), 6-5, as they made another late comeback.
The Bulldogs came into the game needing only one stolen base to tie and two to break the single-season record of 89 from last season, and in the first inning Natalie Horton (Palmdale, CA) took advantage of being hit by the pitch as she stole second base to tie the record and then took third to break it.
After having to come from behind three times against Whittier College last week, they were able to put three runs on the board in the fourth with Kayla Jackson (Bishop, CA) scoring, Sophia Magcale (Cerritos, CA) driving in Paige Messenlehner (Fresno, CA), and Adyson Kim (Millbrae, CA) doubling to right center moving the score to 3-0.
The Athenas tied the game at three in the top of the fifth, Bulldog starter Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) grounded out allowing Horton to take the final 60 feet to reclaim the lead, 4-3.
For the first time in the game CMS took the lead as they got a pair of runs in the sixth. Redlands, though, did what they had done most of the year, fight back.
Horton and Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA) each singled to open the seventh. After a flyout and strikeout for the first two outs, Messenlehner tied the game at five with a base knock up the middle.
Annissa Dorres (Mentone, CA) then stepped in as a pinch hitter and singled up the middle for the walk-off base hit as Bard scored the winning run.
The Bulldogs got away with one as they were outhit 13-7, committed four errors to the Athenas three, and left five runners on base, while CMS had 13 stranded.
Bard was the only Bulldog with a multi-hit afternoon. In the circle Gandara started and went 5.1 Innings giving up five runs, four earned, and four strikeouts. Brianna Garcia got her second win after throwing a scoreless seventh.
Redlands and CMS play twice tomorrow, Saturday, April 13 in Claremont as they look to win a crucial SCIAC series. First pitch of game one is at 12:00 p.m. (noon).
