The University of Redlands maintained its status atop the SCIAC standings as it delivered a pair of wins over the University of La Verne by scores of 13-3 of 10-1 in conference action Saturday at Wheeler Park.
In the opener, the Bulldogs were sparked by a seven-run fourth inning followed by a five-run uprising in the fifth to pull away. Redlands continued its pattern in the second game, scoring four times in both the fourth and fifth innings to complete the twinbill sweep.
Redlands (12-4, 10-0 SCIAC) held a 1-0 lead on the Leopards before unloading for seven runs in the fourth frame. The inning was highlighted by a three-run homer from Amanda Lievanos along with a two-run blast from Rikki Scates.
La Verne was held to just three hits in the first game, with two of the hits coming on doubles from Amanda Hastings and Dee Dee Burns in the bottom of the fourth. Hastings led off with a double and was driven in by Burns, whose two-base hit also plated Tara Allis. Raven Freret would later smack a run-scoring single to close the gap to 8-3.
But the Bulldogs padded their lead in the top of the fifth, with four of the five runs coming on a two-run double from Kayla Uphold, a two-run single from Molly Duran.
In the second game, Burns hit a run-scoring double to drive in Hastings in the bottom of the first to knot the contest at 1-1.
Redlands would reclaim the lead at 2-1, and in the fourth, they added four runs with three coming off the bat of Scates, who delivered a three-run homer. In the fifth, Lievanos hit a two-run single and Ashlie Newhouse added a run scoring single to highlight the frame.
Uphold got the win in the opener while Breanna Ruelas pitched the Bulldogs to victory in the nightcap.
La Verne (10-6, 6-6 SCIAC) steps out of conference with a trip to Hawaii, starting with a doubleheader against Hawaii Pacific on March 13.
