REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team (15-2) extended their winning streak to 15 games Wednesday as they picked up a pair of upset wins over No. 3 Case Western Reserve University. Their 15-game winning streak is now the fifth longest in program history and four off the record from 2012.
Game 1: Redlands 8 - Case Western 6
The Bulldogs got the first two runs of the game in the first inning off a Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) double into center and a Faith Hernandez (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) single to right.
After leading early on, the Bulldogs fell behind 4-2 after a three-run top of the third by the Spartans. Redlands, though, came right back thanks to another Hernandez-RBI and a game-tying Adyson Kim (Millbrae, CA) single up the middle. Paige Messenlehner (Fresno, CA) then followed fouling off multiple two-strike pitches before launching a ball inside the left field foul pole putting UR on top 6-4.
Messenlehner and Gandara made it 8-4 in the fifth on a pair of doubles that would extend the lead enough for the Maroon and Grey to hold on for the 8-6 victory.
Gandara got the start and went 5.1 Innings giving up six runs on eight hits, while striking out three. She earned her sixth win on the season. Briannah Garcia (Riverside, CA) got the save after a game-ending double play coming in relief of Savannah Barchus (Hillsboro, OR).
Messenlehner finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI's, Gandara was 2-for-3 scoring once and driving in two, Isabella Culp was 2-for-3 scoring once and Hernandez finished 2-for-4 scoring once and driving in another two.
Game 2: Redlands 10 – Case Western 2
In a game that looked like a potential high-scoring, back-and-forth affair after each team scored twice in the first inning, Bulldog starter Paige Ellinger (Temecula, CA) was able to shut down the Spartans, while the offense continued their hot hitting in a run-rule victory.
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the first, Culp doubled down the left field line plating Leila Jackson (Vallejo, CA) and Gandara that tied the game.
With what would become the game-winning hit, Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA) singled through the drawn-in infield and scored Kim for a 3-2 lead. That one-run advantage was extended to three in the subsequent at bat as Gandara picked up two more RBI's as Jenay Scott (Merced, CA) and Camille Enriquez (Lamont, CA) crossed the plate.
Kim, Scott, and Leila Gomez (San Bernardino, CA) had RBI's to bring Redlands within two runs of an eight-run lead in the third. Hernandez then cut the necessary runs to one after singling to center in the fourth, and in the fifth a ground ball to second base was misplayed and Gomez was able to come all the way around from second base to end the game, 10-2.
Ellinger through a complete game giving up two unearned runs on two hits, while striking out three and walking just two. The Bulldogs combined to hit five doubles all from five different players. Gandara was 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI's, Bard was 2-for-4, L. Jackson was 1-for-3 scoring twice, Hernandez was 2-for-3 scoring once and driving in another and Culp was 2-for-2 wioth another pair of RBI's.
The Bulldogs will have a quick turnaround with Washington University in St. Louis at The Field of Dreams tomorrow with first pitch of game one at noon, weather permitting.
