REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team (29-11, 15-6 SCIAC) split their doubleheader with California Lutheran University (CLU) on Saturday at the Field of Dreams as they secured a share of the 2024 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Regular Season Championship as they finished in a three-way tie for the second-straight season with Chapman University (CU) and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS). Thanks to the head-to-head advantage, the Bulldogs will be the No. 1 seed and host the upcoming SCIAC Tournament.
Prior to the game the Bulldogs honored seniors Annissa Dorres (Mentone, CA) and Natalie Horton (Palmdale, CA).
Game 1 (L, 7-6)
The Bulldogs held a 3-1 lead after two innings thanks to a three-run second in which the Regals committed an error that allowed Paige Messenlehner (Fresno, CA) to score followed by Dorres who blasted a two-run shot to left scoring Adyson Kim (Millbrae, CA) to put the Bulldogs in front.
CLU scored once in the sixth to make it a one-run game. Then in the seventh the Regals came back to score four, three of which came on a homerun, putting them in front 7-4.
Down to their final three outs the U of R put together a comeback. Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) and Messenlehner both earned walks to put two runners on.
The bases were then loaded after a fielder's choice failed to record an out. Leila Jackson (Vallejo, CA) and Kassidy Long (Hemet, CA) drew another two walks to bring in runs cutting the deficit to one, 7-6. Then with the tying run at third and two outs, the final batter popped out to end the game.
Brianna Garcia (Riverside, CA) had a strong start, allowing two earned runs across five innings, but left with the no decision. Gandara came on in relief and allowed three earned runs in two innings as she was tagged with the loss. Offensively Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA) was 2-for-4 with an RBI, Dorres was 1-for-2 with a run scored, two RBI's and two walks, and Messenlehner was 1-for-2 with two runs scored, a walk and a triple.
Game 2 (W, 11-2 | 5-Innings)
Game two got off to a slow start for the Bulldogs as the first two runs of the game came from the Regals. But in the bottom half of the inning Gandara came up with Bard and Horton on base and porched a three-run shot to right field to make it 3-2. L. Jackson then brought in Messenlehner to make it 4-2 after one.
Gandara drove in two more runs in the fourth to make it 7-2 as Bard and Horton again crossed the plate. Later in the inning Dorres scored pinch runner Kayla Jackson (Bishop, CA) with a single to left. But the big blow of the inning came off the bat of L. Jackson who hit a towering three-run shot to left moving the score to 11-2.
The top three in the order went 6-for-8 with five runs scored, five RBI's and a walk. In the seventh spot L. Jackson went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBI's.
With four stolen bases on the day Horton moves to 30 on the season and 68 in her career. Her 30 steals are now the second most in single-season history and only one behind the record holder Allyson Leslie's 2006 season. Her 68 career steals put her all alone in second place all-time.
Bard also moves ahead of Leslie, her 2005 season, as she stands alone in second place with 28 steals this season.
The next game for the Bulldogs is Friday, May 10 when they host the four-team SCIAC Tournament where they will start the double elimination competition against No. 4 California Lutheran University. Full details for the tournament will be released next week.
