University of Redlands softball team rallies late, claims NCAA Division III national title

The University of Redlands softball team knows how to close.

Redlands faced another big deficit Wednesday morning, but the Bulldogs scored four unanswered runs over the final two innings to pull out a 7-6 victory over Trine University and sweep the NCAA Division III championship series at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Va.

This marks the first national championship for Redlands softball and comes during Jose Ortega's eighth year in charge of the program. The Bulldogs also are just the second Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team to win this title (Chapman in 1995).

Trine scored three runs in the first inning Tuesday morning, but Redlands scored 11 unanswered runs to take Game 1 of the series 11-3.

On Wednesday, the Thunder grabbed a 4-0 lead after one inning, on a sacrifice fly by Emma Lee and a three-run home run by Macy Rocha.

Redlands (48-6) cut the deficit in half in the top of the second, with Jenay Scott and Adyson Kim driving in runs. The Bulldogs scored again in the fourth inning but missed some other chances. Redlands left four runners in scoring position between the second and fifth innings.

Trine, a private university located in Angola, Indiana, won the 2023 and 2025 national titles. The Thunder put itself in position to force Game 3 when Lee belted a two-run homer in the fifth to extend their lead to 6-3.

Redlands mounted another comeback, however, beginning with three runs in the sixth inning to tie the score.

Kim started the inning with a long double to left field and scored on a single by Natalie Lopez. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with two outs, and Natalie Lowthers singled home a pair of runs to tie the score at 6. Redlands nearly took the lead minutes later, but Scott's ball down the third-base line was just foul.

Maya Holshoe and Avery Provenzano were the only Bulldog starters without a base hit through the first six innings, but that duo combined for the biggest run in program history. Holshoe, a senior from Redlands High School, singled to lead off the top of the seventh inning and then stole second. Two batters later, Provenzano singled through the middle to bring Holshoe home with the go-ahead run.

Brianna Garcia, a senior from Riverside Poly, had not pitched for Redlands since May 16, but Ortega went to the off-speed specialist with two outs in the fifth inning. Garcia walked the first batter she faced but proceeded to retire seven straight batters to earn the win.

Four of the outs ended up in the glove of Scott in center field, including a spectacular diving grab coming forward for the second out of the seventh inning.

Senior Katlyn Gandara was chosen as the Most Outstanding Player of the Division III championship series. She made four appearances in the circle, pitching 17 2/3 innings and going 2-0 with a save. Gandara also collected eight hits across the team's five World Series games.

Leila Gomez, a junior right fielder from Aquinas High School, and Scott, also a junior, were selected to the all-tournament team. Gomez went 12-for-20 with nine runs and four stolen bases, while Scott was 10-for-15 with seven runs, four RBIs and four steals.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 10:15 PM.