Dominant pitching leads Chapman to season-opening sweep over George Fox

ORANGE, Calif. – Big fifth innings in each of its two games and dominant pitching performances propelled the Chapman University softball team to a season-opening, double-header sweep over George Fox University on Friday night at El Camino Real Park. The Panthers shutout the Bruins in the first game 8-0 and then came from behind and ran away with the second game 8-1.

Game 1: Chapman 8, George Fox 0
Senior IF Courtney James got Chapman and junior RHP Katie Terry all the run support the team would need in the second inning with a solo homer to left centerfield to take a 1-0 lead. Chapman (2-0) capitalized on a three-base error by George Fox junior OF Nicole Renteria to lead off the third as freshman OF Karina Muniz reached base and then scored on an RBI single by junior OF Kerry Peterson to take a 2-0 lead. Terry earned the complete game for Chapman, pitching six innings while allowing three hits and striking out two.

The Panthers broke the game open with three runs in the fifth inning to take a 5-0 lead as eight players came to the plate. Junior IF Stephanie Engle made her Chapman debut on Friday and came up with the big hit of the inning, a two-run double to right field. In the sixth, Chapman added three more runs to close out the game with an 8-0 win as they capitalized on three George Fox errors in the inning.

Game 2: Chapman 8, George Fox 1
George Fox (2-2) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning off of freshman RHP Cassie Oregel. The Bruins got a double from sophomore OF Kris Tindle followed by an RBI triple by sophomore OF Felicia Chavez for their lone run of the game, a lead which they would hold until the third inning.

Freshman IF Lindsay Holt evened the score for Chapman at 1-1 in the third inning with a sacrifice fly to centerfield which scored Peterson who reached on a single. The big inning for Chapman once again came in the fifth as the team touched up George Fox RHP Erin Hento for seven runs on eight hits to take an 8-1 lead. Junior IF Brittany Furlong and sophomore IF Raquel Rinauro each had two-run singles in the inning. Furlong had four RBI for the Panthers in the doubleheader.

Oregel allowed just four hits and one run in seven innings while striking out eight batters for her first-career win.

by Chris Watts
Sports Information Assistant

Boxscores
Game 1: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/sball/2011-12/boxscores/20120210_rac2.xml
Game 2: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/sball/2011-12/boxscores/20120210_tc44.xml

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