ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The University of Redlands Softball team (35-9) blew out Lake Forest College (LFC) 13-5 in five innings in game one of the NCAA Regionals hosted by Washington University in Saint Louis (WashU) Thursday morning.
Following a first-inning two-run home run by the Foresters, the Bulldogs got both runs back in the second when Leila Jackson (Vallejo, CA) scored on a throwing error and Jenay Scott (Merced, CA) picked up an RBI when she hit into a fielder's choice allowing Kassidy Long (Hemet, CA) to score.
LFC came right back in the next half inning making it 5-2 with a trio of singles. But that would be the final time the Foresters would score as Avery Provenzano (San Jose, CA) began an 11-0 run for the Maroon and Grey with an RBI-double in the bottom of the third. Later in the inning Provenzano cut the deficit to one, 5-4, scoring on another RBI-fielder's choice off the bat of Long.
Paige Ellinger (Temecula, CA) shut down the Foresters in the top of the fourth, which led into what would become a four-run bottom half of the inning. This started with an Adyson Kim (Millbrae, CA) RBI-single up the middle to tie the game at five.
The game-winning RBI was on a sacrifice fly from Paige Messenlehner (Easton, CA) for the Bulldogs' first lead of the game, 6-5. The final two runs came on a second Provenzano double that pushed across Saya Fujii (San Jose, CA) and Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA) as Redlands moved the lead to 8-5.
In the fifth inning the Bulldogs completed the run-rule victory. Kim doubled home Scott and Leila Gomez (San Bernardino, CA). Then back at the top of the order Messenlehner got them to within one run of ending the game with a two-run single that allowed Maya Holshoe (Redlands, CA) and Kim to cross home plate. Bard then found the hole on the right side and Messenlehner came across to end the game, 13-5.
Messenlehner, Provenzano, Scott, and Kim all had two-hit days. Messenlehner and Kim both had three RBI's as the leadoff and No. 8-hole hitters.
After stealing six bases in three games during the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Tournament last weekend, the Bulldogs posted five in the one contest.
In the circle Kaylen Galaviz (Yuba City, CA) started and pitched the first two innings before Ellinger came on and finished the final three innings for her ninth win of the season.
The Bulldogs play No. 3 Wartburg College, who upset No. 2 WashU in game two 4-3, Friday, May 16 beginning at 9:00 a.m. PST.
