REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Softball team (33-8) held a four-run lead, 6-2, heading into the seventh inning before No. 4 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) scored five times handing the Bulldogs a loss in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Tournament opener, 7-6, Friday afternoon.
The Bulldogs jumped in front in the first inning as the Athenas committed three errors, which allowed the three runs to score despite only one Bulldog hit.
Paige Messenlehner (Easton, CA) began the day with a ground ball to shortstop that was misplayed. She then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Following a ground out, Messenlehner scored after the shortstop was wide with her throw home. Kassidy Long (Hemet, CA) then picked up an RBI advancing to second on the fielder's choice and error.
Leila Jackson (Vallejo, CA) reached on the third error of the inning and proceeded to get into scoring position with a stolen base. Isabella Culp (Bayliss, CA) then laced a ball just over the second baseman's head and split the gap that plated Long and Jackson to push the score to 3-0.
Long had a one-out walk and pinch runner Camille Enriquez (Lamont, CA) came in to score off a Jackson RBI-triple in the third. Later in the inning Natalie Lowthers (Wrightwood, CA) pinch hit and came through with an RBI-double that scored Jenay Scott (Merced, CA), who walked earlier in the inning, for a 5-0 lead after three.
In the fifth the Athenas had two hits and a walk that loaded the bases with two outs. Starter Paige Ellinger (Temecula, CA) would get an infield popup to first, but Jackson misplayed the ball initially and would end up dropping the basket catch attempt, which allowed the first two CMS runners to score.
Redlands responded with a Faith Hernandez (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) single into center field that brought home Scott in the bottom half of the inning to make it 6-2.
In the seventh the first six batters reached base, five coming on hits and another on a hit-by-pitch, flipping the momentum of the game with the Athenas in front 7-6.
Kaylen Galaviz (Yuba City, CA) came on and stopped the bleeding with a pair of quick popups and a fly out to Scott in center to give Redlands a chance in the bottom half.
The bottom of the seventh started with a ground out before Adyson Kim (Millbrae, CA) singled on a hard-hit ball to third followed by Avery Provenzano (San Jose, CA) doubling to move Kim to third. Pinch hitter Alyson Stofila (Corona, CA) then drew a walk to load the bases for the top of the order and Messenlehner.
After a double-digit pitch at bat, Messenlehner was unable to layoff a breaking ball in the dirt, for out number two. Brooklyn Bard (Garden Grove, CA) then swung at the first pitch on the next at-bat and flied out to left center for the final out.
Long walked twice and scored once, Jackson had a hit, walk, RBI, and run scored, Culp had two of the six U of R RBI's, and five of their eight hits came from the bottom third of the order.
Ellinger finished with six plus innings thrown, seven hits allowed, five runs, three earned, three walks, and three strikeouts across 118 pitches. Savannah Barchus (Hillsboro, OR) allowed all three batters she faced to reach and Galaviz got three outs on 11 pitches.
Redlands will now have to play out of the loser's bracket, which begins Saturday morning, May 10 at 11:00 a.m. in an elimination game with No. 3 Pomona-Pitzer.
