Softball basking in Sun (West) after pair of wins

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Things are starting to shape up for the Chapman University softball team as it reached the midpoint of the season on Thursday. The Panthers claimed two victories against Greenville College (Ill.) and the University of Puget Sound (Wash.) in Sun West Tournament action. As a result Chapman improved to 5-1 in its past six games and climbed back to .500 this season.

Game 1: Chapman 6, Greenville 5 (8 inn.)
Trailing 4-2 with two outs in the fifth, Chapman rallied for three runs thanks to an RBI double by junior IF Erin DeRycke and a two-run single from sophomore C Jessica Pauletto to give the Panthers a 5-4 advantage.

In the seventh inning, junior RHP Vanessa Goncalves surrendered a solo home run to Rachel Brewer to tie the game and force extra innings. The blast was the only blemish for Goncalves, who otherwise limited Greenville to just three hits and tallied six strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings of relief.

The Panthers made a winner out of Goncalves (2-1) in the top of the eighth, scoring the winning run on a two-out wild pitch. Greenville advanced the potential tying run to third base with one out in the bottom of the inning, but a diving catch by junior IF Dani Brown and a pop out ended the threat.

DeRycke, Pauletto and freshman OF Jojo Wakabayashi each had two hits apiece to lead Chapman.

Game 2: Chapman 8, Puget Sound 0
Chapman (10-10) scored five times in the third inning and added three more in the sixth to earn a run-rule shortened victory. Eight of the Panthers' nine starters had at least one base hit in their 12-hit attack. Freshman C Michelle Pitts paced the Chapman offense, going 3-for-3 with a double and run scored.

Junior RHP Katie Finley pitched a one-hit shutout to improve to 5-3 this season. The right-hander finished with nine strikeouts in the game.

Wakabayashi had a two-run single during Chapman's five-run third inning. Brown was 2-for-4 with the game-winning RBI in the sixth.

Game 1 Stats: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/sball/2008-09/stats/cu-gre.htm
Game 2 Stats: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/sball/2008-09/stats/pug-cu.htm