Bulldogs Dominate Nonconference Finale, Open SCIAC Play With Triple-Header Sweep

By David James Heiss

Redlands News Collective

The University of Redlands softball team extended its winning streak to 13 games Saturday, completing a three-game series sweep of Whittier College with a pair of run-rule victories at the Field of Dreams.

The Bulldogs (23-4, 8-1 SCIAC) outscored the Poets 30-4 over the three-game stretch, following a dominant nonconference performance Tuesday where they swept Elmhurst University by a combined score of 22-3.

Credit: goredlands.com

Katlyn Gandara of Whittier, who was SCIAC’s Week 8 Player of the Week for March the week of March 22, 2026, has been an engine for the Bulldogs’ 13-game streak.

In Saturday's opener, senior Natalie Lowthers went 4-for-4 with three RBIs to lead a 15-hit attack in an 11-3 victory. After Whittier tied the game 2-2 in the second inning, Redlands responded with a five-run outburst. Sophomore Avery Provenzano and Lowthers delivered RBI singles, while junior Natalie Lopez and Provenzano both scored on wild pitches to break the game open.

Freshman reliever Caitlynn Griffith earned her fifth win, striking out seven over four scoreless innings.

The nightcap saw Redlands capitalize on four Whittier errors and six hits to plate seven runs in the second inning of a 9-0 shutout. Senior Katlyn Gandara drove in two runs with a double, and junior Leila Gomez added an RBI single in the third. Gandara pitched four shutout innings before senior Brianna Garcia retired the side in order in the fifth to end the game early.

The weekend surge began Friday in Whittier, where Gandara tossed a four-hit complete game on just 57 pitches in a 10-1 win. Senior Brooklyn Bard anchored the offense with two hits and four RBIs, including a two-run double in a four-run fourth inning.

The Bulldogs’ current momentum took root Tuesday during a doubleheader sweep of Elmhurst. Gandara powered the Bulldogs in Game 1 with a three-run home run and four shutout innings in the circle. In Game 2, Redlands overcame an early 1-0 deficit with a five-run first inning, fueled by RBIs from seniors Maya Holshoe and Adyson Kim, and Provenzano.

Redlands finished its nonconference schedule with a 15-3 record and has now won 13 straight heading into a critical three-game series against the University of La Verne. The series begins at home Friday, April 3, with a 3 p.m. first pitch.