LOS ANGELES – The University of Redlands Softball team's (5-2, 5-1 SCIAC) offense has found its rhythm with five-straight games of eight or more runs after beating Occidental College 13-5 and 8-1 Saturday afternoon.
Game 1: Redlands 13 – Occidental 5
The Bulldogs started quickly with seven runs in the first three innings. In the first Leila Jackson (Vallejo, CA) singled home Paige Messenlehner (Fresno, CA), Isabella Culp (Bayliss, CA) walked with the bases loaded, Adyson Kim (Millbrae, CA) singled to center, Avery Duran (Corona, CA) hit a sacrifice fly to right and Faith Hernandez (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) had an infield single to the shortstop.
In the second Kassidy Long (Hemet, CA) picked up an RBI after grounding out to first, which allowed Kayla Jackson (Bishop, CA) to score making it 6-0.
Messenlehner scored another run in the third when L. Jackson beat out a double play to extend the Bulldog lead to 7-0. That lead would stretch to nine in the fifth thanks to a pair of singles from L. Jackson and Long.
Redlands was unable to stop the game after five innings with the run rule as the Tigers managed to push across five runs. But in the sixth, though, the Bulldogs responded with four more runs to secure the six-inning run-rule victory. L. Jackson, Long, Natalie Lowthers (Wr\ightwood, CA), and Alyson Stofila (Corona, CA) all drove in a run.
L. Jackson had a big game with four hits, four RBI's, and two runs scored. Long reached base four times with two hits and two walks. She also had three RBI's.
In the circle Gandara started and threw 2.2 scoreless innings. Emma Swenson (Clovis, CA) was the first in relief and she shut down the Tigers for 2.1 innings.
Game 2: Redlands 8 – Occidental 1
Redlands jumped out in frontt in the second game of the twin bill when Hernandez allowed Leila Gomez (San Bernardino, CA) to advance the final 60 feet for a 1-0 lead thanks to her sacrifice fly to center. Saya Fujii (San Jose, CA) then hit an infield single back to the circle putting UR up 2-0.
Gomez added an RBI to her run scored in the third after she singled home Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA). Hernandez then made it 4-0 when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The final four runs of the game came in the fourth and sixth innings off L. Jackson and Culp singles with an RBI-groundout from Bard sandwiched in-between.
Culp and Bard combined for four hits, three runs, three RBI's and two stolen bases for Bard. Paige Ellinger (Temecula, CA) went the distance on only 79 pitches after facing only three over the minimum.
Redlands now makes the cross-country trip to Georgia for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Leadoff Classic beginning February 28 with Wartburg College and No. 18 Pfeiffer University. Those are the first of six total games through Sunday.
