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Mya Holshoe, a 2022 Redlands High School graduate, delivered a career performance with a triple and five RBI to lead University of Redlands to an 11-3 victory over defending champion Trine University in Game 1 of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship Series on Tuesday in Salem, Virginia. (Photo courtesy of University of Redlands Athletics)
Mya Holshoe, a senior at University of Redlands, is proof that patience and persistence pays off in softball.
The 2022 graduate of Redlands High School, a full-time starter for the Bulldogs for the first time in her three-year collegiate career, was 3-for-4 at the plate with a triple, two singles and five runs batted in as Redlands downed Trine University, 11-3, Tuesday in the first of a best-of-three series in the finals of the NCAA Division III Championship in Salem, Virginia.
The two teams face each other a second time at 8 a.m. PDT on Wednesday. A win clinches the first national title for Redlands in softball. A loss forces a third and deciding game following Game 2.
Fans may watch the game via live stream at the Redlands athletics website: goredlands.com/softball.
The victory improved the Bulldogs' season record to 47-6 while Trine slipped to 41-7.
Senior pitcher Katelyn Gandara went the distance for Redlands, allowing eight hits, three runs, three walks and two strikeouts on 106 pitches.
When Trine tried to rally in the top of the sixth, Gandara’s actions were pivotal in all three outs. She fielded a comebacker in the circle and threw out a Trine runner at third base on a force play. Then, she gloved the next comebacker and started a 1-6-3 double play that snuffed out a Trine rally with Redlands leading 7-3.
Redlands scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth to activate the eight-run mercy rule in NCAA softball.
Trine, the defending champion in Division III and a winner over Redlands in their only previous meeting at the 2025 Division III World Series, where the Bulldogs were eliminated with a pair of losses, jumped on Gandara for three runs in the top of the first. Karley Trine homered and drove in two runs, followed by Tyra Marcum, who blasted her 17th home run of the season to make it 3-0.
Gandara blanked Trine the rest of the way.
The Bulldogs, who had five-run rallies to set the tone in three previous wins at the tournament, exploded for six runs in the third to take control of the game.
With one out, Brooklyn Bard reached on a bunt single and Leila Gomez did the same. Gandara helped her own cause with a single and Bard scored on a Trine error. Kayla Jackson ran for Gandara. Natalie Lowthers (Wrightwood/Serrano High School) singled to score Gomez. Jenay Scott then reached on a bunt single to load the bases.
Holshoe ripped a liner to the right-center field fence, scoring Jackson, Lowthers and Scott for a 5-3 lead. Trine starting pitcher Debbie Hill was relieved by Alex Rodriguez. Redlands’ Avery Duran pinch hit for Adyson Kim and walked. Kim then ran for Duran and stole second base. Avery Provenzano then fouled out down the left-field line, her sacrifice fly scoring Holshoe from third for an RBI.
Natalie Lopez walked with two out and Bard batted for the second time in the inning and was hit by a pitch to load the bases again. However, Rodriguez got Gomez to foul out to left field for the final out and a 6-3 Redlands lead.
Redlands tacked on a run in the fourth for a 7-3 lead. With two out, Scott walked, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Holshoe to make it 7-3.
After Gandara and the Bulldogs infield snuffed out a Trine rally in the top of the sixth, Redlands erupted for four more runs on four hits. Gomez led off with a double to left-center and Gandara was hit by a pitch. Both moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt by Lowthers.
Scott singled down the left-field line, scoring Gomez as Gandara took third and Scott took second on the throw-in. Holshoe then singled to right, driving in Gandara as Scott went to third. Kim stroked a single up the middle, scoring Holshoe and Scott, and the game was over under the mercy rule, 11-3.
Gandara improved to 24-2 in the circle with a 2.44 earned run average.
Holshoe, a four-year letter winner for Redlands High, helped the Terriers to their last Citrus Belt League softball title as a freshman in 2019, batting .351 with 34 hits, 23 runs scored, eight doubles, three triples and two home runs in 31 games.
For her Redlands High career, she batted .398 with 86 runs scored, 48 RBI, 26 steals, 19 doubles, 10 triples and five home runs as her team posted an overall record of 43-47 (18-13 in 2019 with a 9-1 CBL record).
This season for U of R, Holshoe is hitting .349 in 51 games (42 starts) with 28 runs scored, five doubles, three triples and one home run with 38 RBI.
