REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands softball team (38-4) used another big inning to secure a third-straight run-rule victory as they beat No. 4 Whittier College, 11-2, in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Tournament Championship game Sunday afternoon to win the tournament title for the fourth time in Head Coach Jose Ortega's tenure (seven seasons).
The Bulldogs took an early 1-0 lead on a Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) sacrifice fly in the first. Avery Provenzano (San Jose, CA) then made it 3-0 in the second on a two-run single that went back up the middle. A few batters later leadoff hitter Brooklyn Bard (Long Beach, CA) singled to left to extend the lead to 4-0.
Whittier responded as the designated home team in the bottom half of the second with a two-out RBI double into center. After the Poets pitcher held Redlands scoreless for the first time in the third, a passed ball allowed a run to come home to make it a 4-2 game.
With Caitlynn Griffith (Pala, CA) on in relief, she walked and hit her first two batters, which loaded the bases. But on an 0-2 pitch the ball was slapped to Leila Gomez (San Bernardino, CA) in right who came on, caught the ball, and then threw a strike to Natalie Lowthers (Wrightwood, CA) at the plate for a 9-2 double play, which ended the inning with no further damage.
In the next half inning the Poets returned the free run giving up a single to Adyson Kim (Millbrae, CA), a pair of walks to Provenzano and Bard before having a passed ball of their own, which allowed Provenzano to score making it a 5-2 game.
The big inning mentioned earlier was in the fifth when the U of R had 10 batters come to the plate and six runs score to extend the lead to nine, 11-2.
During the inning Lowthers singled and Jenay Scott (Merced, CA) walked to begin the frame. After a wild pitch, Maya Holshoe (Redlands, CA) hit a ground ball to second, which the Poets decided to come home with, but the throw was late and pinch runner Kayla Jackson (Bishop, CA) scored. In the subsequent seconds Holshoe got in a rundown trying to get to second, but Scott sprinted towards home, which forced a late throw extending the advantage to five, 7-2.
Following a steal of third by Holshoe, Kim added another RBI to her tournament total as she hit into a sacrifice fly to center.
Provenzano restarted the line with a double and Natalie Lopez (Long Beach, CA) singled up the middle to make it first and third with one out. Following a walk to Bard, Gomez grounded out for an RBI and a 9-2 Bulldog lead.
The final two runs came from the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP) Gandara who singled through the hole on the right side making it 11-2.
Griffith finished off the side in the fifth with a flyout, strikeout, and groundout to secure the Bulldogs first tournament title since 2024.
Bard, Lowthers, and Provenzano all had two hits with Scott adding a single and a walk. In the circle Brianna Garcia (Riverside, CA) got the start and went 2.1 innings with only one earned run. Griffith got her 11th win after 2.2 hitless innings and three strikeouts.
The Bulldogs came into the day ranked No. 9 in the NCAA Division III NPI rankings, so they were already a lock for the NCAA Division III National Championships, which begin Thursday. Full details will be made available on the softball schedule page when they are released Monday, following the NCAA Selection Show, which begins at 8:00am PST.
