Offense breaks out of slump as Chapman earns series split with Puget Sound
ORANGE, Calif. – With a breakout game from its offense, the Chapman University softball team salvaged a series split with the University of Puget Sound on Wednesday evening at El Camino Real Park. After putting together just three hits in a 12-3 loss in the first game, the Panthers rebounded with a 9-1 victory in game two behind a two hit, two RBI effort from senior IF Laura Alexander
Game 1: Puget Sound 12, Chapman 3
Chapman (7-13) got off to a rocky start, falling behind 5-0 in the first inning as sophomore RHP Rhianna Stepler-Camp gave up two-run doubles to junior OF Anthea Aasen and senior IF Alex Usher. The duo combined to go 3-for-7 for the Loggers with 4 RBI. Christina Demuelenaere had 3 RBI for Puget Sound.
Puget Sound (3-13) put another five-run inning up in the top of the fifth to push their lead to 10-2. After Aasen and Usher reached on a walk and double, respectively, junior UT Joleen Monfiletto brought home Aasen with an RBI double to left. Puget Sound then added consecutive runs with bases loaded walks and got its final runs of the inning on a two-run single by junior IF Aryn Grause.
Game 2: Chapman 9, Puget Sound 1
In the second game, the Panthers offense sprung to life scoring nine runs which were three more runs then the team had scored in its previous four games combined.
Down 1-0, Chapman got back-to-back singles to lead off the bottom of the third inning from junior OF Jessica Mitchell and junior IF Michelle Pitts followed by James getting hit by a pitch. Freshman UT Raquel Rinauro brought home Mitchell with a single to right field. Then on the same play, Rinauro and the two other Chapman baserunners came around to score on a throwing error by Puget Sound.
An inning later, Chapman pushed its lead to 5-1 on Alexander's first-career home run. Alexander finished the game 2-for-2 with two RBI. The Panthers then capped off their scoring with four more runs in the fifth inning highlighted by RBI singles from Mitchell, Alexander and sophomore OF Kerry Peterson.
Chapman starter Katie Terry evened her record to 5-5 on the season with her fourth win in five games. She held the Loggers to one run on three hits with six strikeouts in five innings of work.
by Chris Watts
Sports Information Assistant
Game 2: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/sball/2010-11/boxscores/20110316_emmj.xml