REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands softball team (36-4) opened their Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Tournament with a 15-4 run-rule victory over Whittier College Friday afternoon at The Field of Dreams, highlighted by Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) breaking the school record in career wins with 66.
The Poets started quickly with a pair of home runs in the first inning. The Bulldogs, though, responded with four runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Gandara singled up the middle, Jenay Scott (Merced, CA) found grass in left field to drive in Leila Gomez (San Bernardino, CA), and Adyson Kim (Millbrae, CA) stayed hot with a two-run double to right.
Whittier tied the game with an RBI double to center in the second, but Redlands once again responded with three more runs in the bottom half of the frame. Gandara added two more RBI's to her total with a double to dead center and Maya Holshoe (Redlands, CA) singled home Gandara.
In the third and fourth innings the Bulldogs put the game away with RBI singles by Gomez, Natalie Lowthers (Wrightwood, CA), and Avery Duran (Corona, CA) with Scott adding an RBI double too. A groundout and Poet error accounted for the other two runs for the Maroon and Grey.
After allowing four runs on six hits in the opening two frames, Gandara did not allow a base runner in the third and fourth innings, which gave her win number 18 this season and number 66 in her career, breaking the school record, which was held by Olivia Ellis (2007-10).
Caitlynn Griffith (Pala, CA) finished off the game with a scoreless fifth.
Bard and Scott each had three hits, while Gomez, Gandara, and Natalie Lopez (Long Beach, CA) added two. Duran, Lowthers, Scott, Holshoe, and Kim had two RBI's and Gandara's added three, which led the way.
Redlands faces No. 2 Chapman University, who defeated No. 3 University of La Verne 6-1, Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.
