REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team beat Chapman University for the fifth time in six games this season as they were crowned the 2024 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Tournament Champions, following a 6-0 victory, on Sunday to earn the conference's automatic qualifying bid into the NCAA Division III National Championships.
The Bulldogs, who are 32-11, 15-6 SCIAC only needed three wins to collect their third SCIAC Tournament Title over the last four seasons. They won the title back in 2021 also in three games and then beat Chapman University in the Championship Game last year in 2023. Overall the Bulldogs have competed in the SCIAC Tournament 11 times with four titles, three of which have come under Head Coach Jose Ortega.
2024 SCIAC Player of the Year Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) got the scoring started in the top half of the first, as only the third batter of the game, porching one to right field giving UR a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom half of the inning Gandara came on in relief of Brianna Garcia and inherited the bases loaded with only one out. But she would end the threat forcing two groundouts keeping the Panthers off the scoreboard.
After both pitchers kept the game at the 2-0 mark through three innings, first-year Leila Jackson (Vallejo, CA) would triple to right center plating Paige Messenlehner (Fresno, CA) who reached after getting hit by a pitch, giving Redlands a 3-0 lead.
Adyson Kim (Millbrae, CA) then singled through the left side to make it 4-0. The final two runs of the game came when pinch hitter Kassidy Long (Hemet, CA) hit a sacrifice fly to left that scored Kim and after the throw from left got away at third, Jenay Scott (Merced, CA) was able to come home for the final run of the contest.
L. Jackson finished with three hits, an RBI, and a run scored. Natalie Horton (Palmdale, CA) went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases. Gandara was named the tournament's most valuable player as she finished the game with two hits, two RBI's, a run scored, and 6.2 scoreless innings to earn her 17th win on the season.
The Bulldogs will await their regional location and opponent tomorrow morning, Monday, May 13 when the NCAA announces the championship field. Details will be posted on the softball schedule at goredlands.com.
