LOS ANGELES – The University of Redlands Softball team (26-9, 12-4 SCIAC) secured a one-run victory over Occidental College, 7-6, on the road Friday opening up the three-game series as they stole eight bases, while seeing Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) throw a complete game in the circle and record two hits at the plate.
Kassidy Long (Hemet, CA) got the offense started for the Maroon and Grey with a sacrifice fly to left bringing home Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA) who walked, stole second, and then advanced to third on Gandara's single.
The Tigers tied the game at one in the bottom of the first on a single with the runner who came in reaching base on an error.
Leila Jackson (Vallejo, CA) would reclaim the lead for the U of R as she scored on a Tiger fielding error at first. Natalie Horton (Palmdale, CA) then had an infield single, which allowed Jenay Scott (Merced, CA) to make it 3-1 in the second.
The Tigers would not go away without a fight though, as they came back with a three-run bottom of the second to take their first lead of the game, 4-3.
But this lead would not hold as the Bulldogs would tie the game up for the third time following another sacrifice fly this one coming from Ashley Shelton (Jurupa Valley, CA) who plated Long moving the score to 4-4.
That same inning Adyson Kim (Millbrae, CA), who reached on a walk would advance to third on a passed ball, while at the same time Paige Messenlehner (Fresno, CA) was able to take the final 60 feet as she made it 5-4 Redlands.
In the fourth Horton and Gandara got two more insurance runs as Horton tripled home Scott and Gandara drove in Horton with the Bulldogs third sacrifice fly as the U of R went from down 4-3 in the second to up 7-4 in the fourth.
Occidental continued to put pressure on Gandara and the Bulldogs' defense as they received a hit and had a batter reach on an error in the fifth, but Gandara was able to limit the Tigers to only one run.
In the sixth Gandara stranded two more Tigers as she worked around three singles keeping the Bulldogs in the lead following Occidental's sixth run.
After a stressful couple of innings, Gandara sat the Tigers down one-two-three in the seventh to win the series opener.
Horton and Gandara had four of the six Bulldog hits and three of the five RBI's. On the bases Horton and Kayla Jackson (Bishop, CA) each stole two and Bard, Messenlehner, L. Jackson, and Scott added one apiece.
Gandara earned her 14th win on the season after throwing a complete game giving up four earned runs on nine hits.
Redlands continues their series with Occidental on Sunday, April 21 with the first pitch of the doubleheader set for noon.
