Split with Whittier gives Chapman its 20th win

ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University softball team earned a doubleheader split with Whittier College on Friday afternoon at El Camino Real Park, defeating the Poets 4-3 in Game 1 before falling in the second game 5-1. The win gave the Panthers their first 20-win season since 2008 with just two games remaining.

Game 1: Chapman 4, Whittier 3
Senior OF Andrena Calix cleared the bases in the second inning with a two-out three-run triple down the right field line to give Chapman an early advantage. Consecutive two-out singles by senior OF C.C. Daly, junior IF Stephanie Engle and sophomore IF Raquel Rinauro preceded Calix's big hit.

The lead was short lived as Whittier rallied for three runs of its own in the top of the third. The Poets struck for three hits, a walk and a hit by pitch in the inning to even the score at 3-3.

In the bottom of the inning, junior IF Kyla Javier singled in senior IF Courtney James as Chapman regained the lead for good. Javier led all hitters, going 3-for-3 in the game.

Freshman RHP Cassie Oregel held the Poets to just three hits over final four innings going the distance for her 11th complete game and ninth win of the year. With five strikeouts on Friday, Oregel now has 102 this season. She is the first Chapman freshman to record over 100 strikeouts in a season since Jennifer Winford who had 134 Ks in 2006.

Boxscore: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/sball/2011-12/boxscores/20120420_kee2.xml

Game 2: Whittier 5, Chapman 1
The Poets snapped a 1-1 tie with a four-run fourth inning to chase Chapman junior RHP Katie Terry from the game. Whittier loaded the bases without the benefit of a hit, thanks to an error, hit batter and a walk. Poets' OF Emi Shimamoto drew a walk to drive in a run and IF Courtney Grana plated a pair with a single to center. For good measure, Whittier added a run on a wild pitch and ended the inning with a 5-1 lead.

Chapman scored an unearned run in the second inning to tie the score at 1-1. Rinauro singled to right and an outfield bobble allowed Oregel to come around to score. The Panthers were shutout on just three hits the rest of the game, including hitting into a pair of double plays. Chapman's best scoring opportunity came when it loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth, but couldn't push across a run.

Freshman OF Karina Muniz had two of the Panthers' six hits in the game.

Boxscore: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/sball/2011-12/boxscores/20120420_ntw3.xml

by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director

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