THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Both teams entered Saturday looking for their first win of the season to open conference play. Cal Lutheran will try again tomorrow after falling 16-5 and 8-5 to No. 11 Redlands at Hutton Field.
Box Score (Game 1): UR 16, CLU 5 - F/6
Box Score (Game 2): UR 8, CLU 5 - F
Cal Lutheran collected 21 hits and batted .350 against nationally ranked Redlands during its conference opening doubleheader. However the timely hits came mostly from the Bulldog bats as the Regals went 1-for-8 as a team with the bases loaded during Saturday's action.
Redlands 16, Cal Lutheran 5 - F/6
Redlands had scored three runs in the first inning before recording a single base hit. The Bulldog bats eventually got hot connecting for 18 hits in Saturday's opener, including six for extra bases.
Cal Lutheran trailed 5-1 but created a bases loaded, one-out situation in the third inning. Redlands pitcher Kayla Uphold's high and wide throw home for the force out netted the Regals a run and a chance to extend the inning. However Uphold retired the next two batters without sustaining any more damage.
The Bulldogs responded with four runs in the fourth, tacked on another in the fifth, and broke the game open with six runs in the sixth. Linda Park's three-run home run capped off the scoring and provided the final 11-run margin of victory. She was one of seven Bulldogs to collect multiple base hits including three-hit performances from Janelle Carrasco, Sarah Beeman, and Uphold.
In the circle, Uphold went five innings allowing five runs (four earned) to pick up the victory. Teammate Gabrielle Sciuto closed out the sixth inning striking out two to finish the game.
Cal Lutheran's Shannon Tinsley and Sara Lichtsinn provided RBI-singles in the first and fifth innings respectively, and both collected a pair of base hits to lead the team. A pinch-hit two-run single from Alex Templin in the fifth cut the deficit to 10-5.
CLU starting pitcher Katelyn Downing was on the short end of some defensive miscues to start Saturday's doubleheader. She allowed five runs (two earned) in two-plus innings of work.
Redlands 8, Cal Lutheran 5 - F
After trailing by six runs in the third inning, and by five in the fifth, Cal Lutheran rallied to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate in the seventh. Trailing 8-4 with two outs Kayla Sakamoto beat out the throw for an infield single cutting the deficit to three.
Redlands starting pitcher Breanna Ruelas returned to the game after being lifted at the end of six innings and 100 pitches of work. She re-entered with the game-winning run for Cal Lutheran at the plate. Ruelas went on to record the last out courtesy of her fifth strikeout to secure the win.
Cal Lutheran outhit Redlands 14-13 in game two with the effort led by Brittany Labbe, Debben Hoffer, and Sakamoto. The trio combined to go 9-for-12 with three runs batted in in game two.
Redlands' Amanda Lievanos played a big role in the decision going 3-for-4 with four runs batted in. She sparked all three scoring frames for the Bulldogs with a leadoff homer in the second, an RBI-single in the third and a two-run single in the fourth.
Relief pitcher Nicolby Atallah kept the Regals within comeback range allowing just two runs (one earned) over five innings. She held the Bulldogs to just one more run in the second inning despite entering the circle facing a bases loaded, no-out jam.
Cal Lutheran (0-6) will host George Fox (2-2) for a doubleheader on Sunday, Feb. 12, starting at Noon.
