REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team (21-7) split with No. 2 Linfield University Sunday afternoon thanks to Kaylen Galaviz (Yuba City, CA) who threw five innings strong in Game 2, surrendering just one run as she improved to 4-0 on the season.
Game 1 (L, 12-8)
The two sides combined for seven runs in the first inning. The Bulldogs fell behind 2-0 after a two-run home run by the Wildcats in the top half. The Bulldogs, though, came right back with a Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) RBI-double that plated Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA).
After Isabella Culp (Bayliss, CA) walked and Jenay Scott (Merced, CA) singled to first base, Adyson Kim (Millbrae, CA) stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. She would clear the bases with a double past the center fielder for Redlands' first lead of the game, 4-2. The fifth run then came on a ground ball to the shortstop that slipped past her glove allowing Kim to score an unearned run.
In the third Linfield drew within two, 5-3, on an RBI-single. The big inning, however, came two innings later when the Wildcats scored nine times in the fifth to take a 12-5 lead.
The Bulldogs were down to their final out in the bottom half of the seventh with Paige Messenlehner (Fresno, CA) at the plate. She would extend the game with her first hit of the afternoon. Following an error Gandara came up and added three runs to the board with a three-run home run into right center.
Gandara did the majority of the damage at the plate with three of the Bulldogs' eight hits, including a double and homerun and added four of their seven RBI's. Paige Ellinger (Temecula, CA) got the start and went 3.0 Innings giving up three runs on five hits and walking four. She left with the no decision. Brianna Garcia (Riverside, CA) came on relief and threw the next 1.1 Innings and was tagged with the loss after giving up seven runs on five hits with a walk and two hit batters. She drops to 3-3.
Game 2 (W, 6-2)
Redlands used the momentum from the seventh inning to begin Game 2 as they scored in each of the first five innings.
The opening run came in the first when Bard flared a ball that would land just over third base allowing Messenlehner to come home after singling and stealing second and third.
Kassidy Long (Hemet, CA) got her first at bat of the day in the second and took advantage of it with an RBI-single. The next inning saw the U of R's third RBI-single of the game as Scott came up big with a hit back up the middle to score pinch runner Kayla Jackson (Bishop, CA).
In the next half inning Linfield hit their third home run of the day, but it was only a solo shot, so the Bulldogs maintained a multi-run lead, 3-1.
Messenlehner put the game away in the fifth with a two-run home run that scored Saya Fujii (San Jose, CA) for a 5-1 advantage. The sixth and final run came from freshman Faith Hernandez (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) in the fifth when she doubled home Kim.
The top three in the order, Messenlehner, Bard, and Gandara, had six hits and three RBI's. The bottom half also came through with seven hits coming from the six through nine hitters.
Galaviz pitched a fantastic game. She needed only 56 pitches to get through five innings. She did not cede a walk, which plagued the Bulldogs in game one. Gandara pitched the final two innings to secure the win.
Redlands' non-conference slate is now complete. They return to Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play this Friday, April 4 at 3:00 p.m. when they host Whitter College.
