REDLANDS, Calif. – After losing a tough game to begin the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Tournament Friday afternoon, the University of Redlands Softball team (34-9) needed to win four-straight to take the tournament title. That task began Saturday with a 4-3 win over No. 3 Pomona-Pitzer in 10-Innings, but a 7-5 loss to No. 2 Chapman University eliminated the Bulldogs from the field ending there run to the title.
Game 1 (Pomona-Pitzer; W, 4-3 | 10-Innings)
The Sagehens jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a bases loaded walk in the first and an RBI-single in the third. The Bulldogs had their opportunities, though, loading the bases with singles by Leila Jackson (Vallejo, CA) and Isabella Culp (Bayliss, CA) and then a walk drawn by Jenay Scott (Merced, CA) with nobody out in the second. They would strand all three runners though as the Sagehen starter Devin Waddel picked up two big strikeouts and a pop up to end the threat.
In the third Paige Messenlehner (Easton, CA) and Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA) began the inning both getting hit by a pitch. But again the scoring opportunity would end after a flyout, strikeout, and a pop up.
In the fifth with the deficit still at two, 2-0, Saya Fujii (San Jose, CA) singled to right center and then advanced to second when Messenlehner was hit for a second time. Bard proceeded to sacrifice them over to second and third.
Kassidy Long (Hemet, CA) got Redlands on the board with a sacrifice fly to left that made it 2-1. With the bases loaded on a Jackson hit-by-pitch, Culp reached on a fielding error by the pitcher that allowed the tying run to score.
Both sides handled each other's offense through the seventh inning as the game went into extras. In the eighth with Adyson Kim (Millbrae, CA) at second after a two-out single and a stolen base, Faith Hernandez (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) singled and advanced Kim to third before a throwing error allowed her to take the final 60 feet to make it 3-2 Bulldogs in the top half of the inning as the designated visitiors.
In the potential final half inning, Paige Ellinger (Temecula, CA) was in a jam trying to close out the game with the tying run at second with two away. She got the Sagehens to pop-up on the infield but neither Kim or Fujii were able to make the catch allowing the game-tying run to score forcing an additional inning.
The decisive hit came in the 10th with the bases empty and one out as Culp lined a ball over the wall in left for a solo home run that turned out to be the game-winning hit as Ellinger went one-two-three in the bottom half of the inning.
Culp and Kim each recorded two hits, and two of the four runs scored came from them as well. Kaylen Galaviz (Yuba City, CA) came on in relief of Brianna Garcia (Riverside, CA) and threw 5.1 innings, allowing only one hit and striking out two. Ellinger got her eighth win after two scoreless innings to end the game.
Game 2 (Chapman University; L, 7-5)
The Bulldogs took advantage of poor defensive play by Chapman in the first inning scoring two unearned runs. Long singled to center and a throwing error by the Panther centerfielder allowed Bard to score. Long then scored on a wild pitch later in the inning.
The Panthers responded right back with three runs in the bottom of the first on a fielder's choice and a two-run double.
In the fourth the game was tied at three by the Bulldogs. Alyson Stofila singled to move the tying run to third. That single, however, turned into a rundown with Stofila between first and second. The Panthers tried to get the out at second to end the inning, but Scott made it home and Stofila made it all the way to third. Redlands then reclaimed the lead on a wild pitch to the next batter to conclude Redlands' second two-run inning.
Just like the first inning, Chapman immediately got the runs back and went back in front, 7-4, as they pushed four runs across on four hits and an error.
The rest of the way the Bulldogs managed only two hits, one of which was a solo homerun to center by Avery Provenzano (San Jose, CA) in the sixth, as they lost their second game of the tournament eliminating them.
Provenzano had two hits with the other seven coming from seven different players thanks to 12 different Bulldogs getting an at-bat. After seven runs allowed by the first two pitchers, Galaviz came on once again and put forth a strong final 2.1 Innings, allowing only one hit and no runs allowed.
The Bulldogs are already in the NCAA Division III National Championships thanks to their high ranking in the NPI, the rating system that determines the championship selections. This coming Monday is when Redlands will find out where and who they play during the regionals, which begin on Thursday, May 15.
