U of R softball sweeps NCAA regional, heads to Texas for super regional
Bulldogs improve to 41-5 and advance to best-of-three series against top-seeded Texas Lutheran
University of Redlands’ softball team continued its dominant season with a sweep of three games in the opening round of the NCAA Division III regional playoffs.
The Bulldogs defeated Dominican University of Illinois 5-3 and beat Illinois Wesleyan twice by identical 6-4 scores at Wartburg College in Iowa to advance to the super regional beginning May 21.
Redlands later fell to Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas, in the opener of the best-of-three series Thursday and now faces elimination Friday.
The winner of the best-of-three series against No. 1 seed Texas Lutheran advances to the NCAA Division III Elite Eight quarterfinals.
Redlands improved to 41-5 overall following a 20-1 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference record and a SCIAC tournament championship. The Bulldogs finished 40-11 in 2025.
Katelyn Gandara improved to 21-1 in the circle after earning the win in the regional-clinching victory in Waverly, Iowa.
Redlands scored six runs on 10 hits in the deciding game. Illinois Wesleyan collected 12 hits but was held to four runs for the second consecutive game.
Gandara drove in the Bulldogs’ first run with a base hit that scored Leila Gomez. Natalie Lowthers followed with a two-run home run for a 3-0 lead.
In the fifth inning, Jenay Scott grounded into a fielder’s choice as Gandara and Gomez scored to extend the lead to 5-1.
Illinois Wesleyan answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the deficit to 5-4, but Gomez delivered a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning that allowed Brooklyn Bard to score an insurance run and make the final score 6-4.
Gandara pitched 4.1 innings, allowing four runs while striking out three. Only three of the runs were earned. Freshman Caitlynn Griffith earned the save after throwing 1.2 scoreless innings and striking out two of the four batters she faced.
In the first meeting between the teams, Redlands also won 6-4.
In that game, Illinois Wesleyan jumped out to a 4-0 lead on a three-run homer by Maddie Pool off Bulldogs starter Briana Garcia. Paige Ellinger entered in relief and pitched the final five-plus innings, allowing a solo homer by Casey Wissmiller and two additional runs as Wesleyan fell 6-4, forcing the deciding game.
Redlands opened regional play May 15 with another 6-4 win over Illinois Wesleyan. The Bulldogs led 3-0 early and carried a 6-0 advantage into the bottom of the seventh before Wesleyan scored four times in its final at-bat.
Gandara earned her 20th victory after throwing five shutout innings.
The Bulldogs scored three runs in their final at-bat on RBI singles by Scott, Kim and Avery Provenzano. Redlands High School graduate Mya Holshoe went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Kim finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Gandara was 2-for-3 with a run scored, and Gomez went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
In the NCAA regional opener, Redlands defeated Dominican University of Illinois 5-3. Gandara and Natalie Lopez both homered, while Holshoe added a double and an RBI.
Gandara pitched 5.2 innings, allowing all three Dominican runs on 68 pitches. Griffith struck out three batters over the final 1.1 innings to earn the save.
