Univ. of Redlands softball returns to NCAA Division III College World Series with wins

University of Redlands softball team won back-to-back games on Friday (May 22) to punch their return ticket to the NCAA Division III College World Series on May 28 in Salem, Va.

After losing the best-of-three series opener at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas on Thursday, 5-3, the Bulldogs won the equalizer 3-1 and then held off the hosts for a 5-4 victory in game three to win the Super Regional.

Redlands will join seven other teams for a double-elimination national championship, repeating what the team accomplished in 2025.

That year, the Bulldogs were eliminated by Linfield University 9-1 after losing to Trine University and beating Texas Lutheran 2-0.

The Bulldogs improved to 43-6 on the season thanks to their MVP Katlyn Gandara who pitched 5.2 innings in the clinching win over Texas Lutheran to earn her 22nd victory against two losses. Freshman Caitlynn Griffith got the save with 1.1 innings of relief, her eighth save of the season.

After Texas Lutheran went ahead 1-0 in the first inning, Redlands exploded for five runs in the third off TLU starter Jordan Joy (14-2). The big blow was a grand slam home run by Natalie Lowthers (Wrightwood, Calif.), scoring Gandara, Leila Gomez and Brooklyn Bard ahead of her.

Gandara produced a run-scoring single to start the rally.

TLU made it 5-2 in the bottom of the third, then closed the gap to 5-3 in the sixth when Ashley McMahon stole home. A sacrifice fly produced an RBI in the seventh to make it 5-4 before Griffith closed out the game to spark a celebration among the Bulldogs.

In game two earlier on Friday, Page Ellinger (6-3) pitched 3.2 innings, allowed one run on three hits and had a pair of strikeouts before turning the circle over to Griffith, who pitched 3.1 innings of one-hit ball with three strikeouts to earn her seventh save.

Lowthers drove in Gomez on a fielder’s choice in the first inning.

Gomez’s sacrifice fly enabled Kayla Jackson to score in the fifth. Gandara produced Redlands’ third run with a sacrifice fly that plated Bard. Katelyn Howard (22-2), the pitcher for Texas Lutheran, took the loss.

In the best-of-three series opener, TLU took advantage of six stolen bases and timely hitting to beat Redlands 5-3. The Bulldogs had 13 hits but left 11 runners on base in the game.

Adyson Kim was 3-for-4 with a double while Maya Holshoe (Redlands High School), Lowthers and Gomez were each 2-for-4 at the plate. Gandara took the loss, only her second of the season.