REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team (30-7, 15-3 SCIAC) honored their five seniors – Kaylen Galaviz (Yuba City, CA), Savannah Barchus (Hillsboro, OR), Paige Messenlehner (Easton, CA), Isabella Culp (Bayliss, CA), and Kassidy Long (Hemet, CA) – prior to their doubleheader with the University of La Verne Saturday pulling off a sweep 11-3 and 6-1 despite enduring weather delays totaling more than two hours.
With the two wins the Bulldogs run their winning streak to ten games, dating back to March 30 and currently have a strong hold atop the conference standings.
Game 1 (W, 11-3 | 5-Innings)
Following an hour and a half delay due to weather to start the game the Bulldogs found themselves behind 2-0 after the top of the first as the Leopards scored two unearned runs against starter Galaviz after the first two batters reached base on errors.
Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) got the Bulldogs scoring started with an RBI single that plated Messenlehner, and after an error on the center fielder who overshot the catcher, Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA) came around to tie the game.
Long and Jenay Scott (Merced, CA) both reached base and an error on each play allowed Gandara and Long to take an extra 60 feet to make it 4-2 Redlands after one inning.
La Verne got their final run of the game in the second. Then in the bottom half of the inning Gandara added a second RBI doubling home Messenlehner. The next three runs of the inning came on a Long RBI-single, a Scott RBI-single, and a Culp sacrifice fly to left that made it 8-2.
Leila Jackson (Vallejo, CA) doubled in Camille Enrique (Lamont, CA) and Messenlehner to bring Redlands to within one of a run-rule victory in the fifth. With two outs still on the board Long then found the right center field gap and pinch runner Kayla Jackson (Bishop, CA) came around from second to end the game, 11-3.
Bard, Long, and Scott all recorded three hits each with Messenlehner and Gandara adding another combined four hits as the Bulldogs banged out 14. Galaviz allowed only one earned run as she worked around a few errors. She went 1.2 innings scattering six hits with a strikeout and leaving with the no decision. Paige Ellinger (Temecula, CA) came on in relief and recorded her seventh win in after throwing 3.1 scoreless innings and giving up just four hits and striking out three.
Game 2 (W, 6-1)
Barchus threw Game 2 and pitched a complete game giving up one run on four hits, while striking out two, improving to 3-0 as the Bulldogs secured the sweep.
Long put the Bulldogs ahead early in the first with a two-run triple into dead center. Then it was 4-0 in the third when Gandara homered to right field.
The homerun was part of three-straight innings with a run scored for Redlands as Gandara then doubled home Avery Provenzano (San Jose, CA) who had a pinch hit double earlier in the fourth inning pushing the lead to 5-0. Scott finished the scoring off with a single up the middle for a 6-0 advantage in the fifth.
Gandara reached base all four times in the first game and three of four plate appearances in game two. Scott finished the day off with five hits. Barchus needed only 78 pitches for her first complete game with Redlands.
The Bulldogs host California Lutheran University next Friday, May 2 at 3:00 p.m. in their final home regular season game at The Field of Dreams.
