by Avery Raimondo '15

Claremont, Calif. - The University of Redlands completed its season sweep of the Pomona-Pitzer softball team, as the Bulldogs won both games of Saturday's doubleheader at Pomona-Pitzer Stadium.

The Sagehens dropped the first contest 6-1, with the Bulldogs' Kayla Uphold giving up only two hits during the entirety of her complete game, falling two outs short of a no-hitter. Pomona-Pitzer had greater success against Redlands' three pitchers in the second game, but fell 7-2, despite 4.1 shutout innings of relief from junior Marilyn Creswell (Wheaton, Ill. - pictured). 

The Bulldogs are now 23-7 overall and 13-5 in SCIAC play while the Sagehens fall to 10-15 on the season and 4-12 in league games.

In the opener, Redlands jumped out to an early lead in the first inning of the afternoon. Amanda Clark singled off Pomona-Pitzer's Fiona Riley (Berkely, Calif.) in the game's first at bat and then Grace Rose reached on a throwing error. Sarah Beeman laid down a bunt on the Bulldogs' third at bat, Clark scoring on a second throwing error. Nikoli Sharp knocked in Rose to give Redlands a two-run advantage before Riley forced a double play and a pop-up to get out of trouble.

Both teams struggled to generate offense during the next few innings until the Bulldogs' bats got going in the fourth. AJ Carrasco doubled down the right field line and Clark singled to put two runners on with one out.  A Rose sacrifice bunt moved Carrasco and Clark to third and second respectively and a Beeman single brought both around to extend the Bulldog lead to four runs.

After Redlands scored in both the sixth and the seventh, the Sagehens faced a six-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Leah Bleichner (Simi Valley, Calif.) followed a Caitlyn Hynes (Upland, Calif.) double by hitting a single to left field and reaching second on an error. Paige Oliver (Citrus Heights, Calif.) drove in Hynes with a grounder to the Bulldog shortstop, but the Sagehens were unable to tack on any additional runs.

In the second contest, the Bulldogs rode strong second and third innings to victory, as Redlands scored all of their seven runs in that span. Hynes, who replaced Riley for the second game, started well, but got in a bind after letting up two singles to put two runners on with one out in the second. Kristen Hooper then doubled to bring Uphold and Vicki King home. A throwing error prolonged the inning and another Bulldog came in to score to give Redlands a three-run lead.

Beeman singled for the Bulldogs and advanced to second after some miscommunication by the Sagehens to start the third.  Hynes got the next two batters out, but Linda Park batted in Beeman with a single to left center. The Bulldogs then filled up the bases and Park scored after Hynes walked Carrasco. Creswell came in as the Sagehens' first relief pitcher and fared extremely well; however, two more Bulldogs scored in the third due to fielding errors by Pomona-Pitzer. Cresswell, though, shut out Redlands the rest of the way, finishing her four and 1/3 innings with four strikeouts and no unearned runs.

In the bottom of the fourth, Shannon Julius (Coronado, Calif.) batted in Bleichner with a sacrifice grounder to first. On the next at bat, Emily Glass (Davis, Calif.) knocked in Theresa Wong (Cupertino, Calif.) to cut Redlands' lead to five runs. Despite putting runners on base in subsequent innings, the Sagehens couldn't bring any runners home.

Pomona-Pitzer is next in action on Friday when it travels to Whittier for a 2 p.m. contest.