THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The Cal Lutheran softball team got two strong starting pitching performances but couldn't get the bats going as the No. 7 ranked Redlands Bulldogs blanked CLU 7-0 and 6-0 in a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) doubleheader Friday afternoon at Hutton Field.
Game one starting pitcher Katelyn Downing was on the short-end of a pitcher's duel in game one as Redlands starter Kayla Uphold held Cal Lutheran to just two hits. Downing was strong through five innings, limiting the Bulldogs to two runs and five hits.
Cal Lutheran had its best scoring chance in the bottom of the fourth when Kayla Sakamoto led off the inning with a base hit through the right side of the infield. Brittany Labbe then laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Sakamoto to second. However, Uphold would get a strikeout and a web-gem from second baseman Amanda Clark, who made a diving-catch in foul territory to end the inning.
Unfortunately for Cal Lutheran, Redlands broke the game open when it strung together five straight singles to score five runs in the top of the sixth and increased its lead to 7-0.
Downing (5-10) suffered the hard-luck loss. The senior gave up 12 hits over 6.0 innings of work while getting 11 ground-ball outs. Liz Mertel had solid game defensively, finishing with a game-high six put-outs.
Christina Hunter had the other hit for the Regals in game one.
Uphold earned the win and improved her season record to 18-5, tops in the SCIAC.
Clark and AJ Carrasco each went 2-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the Bulldogs offensively.
Game two saw CLU starting pitcher Shonna Christianson extend her scoreless-innings pitched streak to 16.2 before Redlands pieced together three-straight hits with two outs and scored two runs in the top of the third and take the first lead of the game.
Cal Lutheran threatened the following inning when Danika Green singled through the right side and then Ryanna Morua, who pinch-ran for Green, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. The Regals were unable to capitalize with Redlands starting pitcher Nikoli Sharp getting a groundout to end the inning.
Two Regal errors led to Redlands scoring four unearned runs in the top of the fourth to push its lead to 6-0.
CLU atoned for its defensive errors the following inning with Morua fielding a ground ball in the hole behind second base and throwing a strike on the run to get the runner at first. Two pitches later, Mertel fielded a short-hop on the run and made a perfect throw across the infield. Mertel then completed the stellar defense inning, fielding a hot-shot backhanded for the final out of the inning.
Down to the last out, Blake Lewis blasted a double off the right-field wall to give CLU its first extra-base hit of the day. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs picked off the CLU base runner at second base to end the game.
Despite suffering the loss, Christianson (4-6) gave up just seven hits and struck out two. Lewis came on in relief in the top of the fifth and had her strongest pitching outing her career, not allowing a hit in three scoreless innings while striking out two.
Sakamoto had the only other hit for the Regals.
Sharp (5-0) earned the win for the Bulldogs, allowing just one hit over 4.0 innings.
Sarah Beeman was 3-for-4 with two RBIs as the Bulldogs won their 14th game in a row.
Cal Lutheran (12-20, 7-15 SCIAC) has a quick turnaround as it hosts Pomona-Pitzer for a doubleheader, Saturday, April 13, at Hutton Field starting at noon. The game also marks the third annual Strike Out Cancer project with this year's proceeds going to the Zoe to Zoe Strike Out Cancer Project. Zoe Ballen and Zoe Feldman will both throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Game 1: UR 7 CLU 0
Game 2: UR 6 CLU 0
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