Home streak snapped, but softball rallies for doubleheader split

ORANGE, Calif. – A Chapman University softball team that has been beating opponents with its pitching received a little bit of its own medicine on Tuesday night. The Panthers were shutout by visiting Williams College (Mass.) 2-0 in the first game of a non-conference doubleheader before rebounding with a 3-1 win in the nightcap at El Camino Real Park. It marked the first time this season Chapman (18-4) has lost back-to-back games and snapped the Panthers' six-game home winning streak.

Game 1: Williams 2, Chapman 0

A pitcher's duel all the way, the Ephs offense put two runs on the board with RBI from 2B Theresa Legan and OF Ally Ensor. A leadoff triple by 3B Kacey Cramer preceded a well-executed bunt by Legan which brought in Cramer and a double from Ensor drove in their second and final run.

Chapman sophomore RHP Cassie Oregel had her home scoreless inning streak snapped at 32 consecutive and suffered just her second loss of the season (8-2).

The usually scrappy Chapman offense was punchless against Williams' sophomore RHP Emma Harrington, limited to just three singles – two from freshman OF Amy Serven – and had just two baserunners reach second base in the game for the Panthers. Harrington earned her first win of the year with seven strikeouts in a complete game effort.

Boxscore: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/sball/2012-13/boxscores/20130319_9zkp.xml

Game 2: Chapman 3, Williams 1

After 11 straight scoreless innings (going back to the Redlands loss on Saturday), the Panthers broke through in the fourth inning to tie the score at 1-1. Freshman 2B Larissa Rinauro led off the inning with bloop single to left followed by an infield single from senior OF Kerry Peterson. Chapman got runners to second and third with two outs before a wild pitch plated Rinauro with the Panthers' first run of the game.

Chapman snapped the tie in the very next inning on an RBI triple from senior OF Jenny Richards – her fifth of the season – and added some insurance in the sixth with an unearned run against the Ephs. Richards finished the game 2-for-3 with a stolen base while senior 1B Stephanie Engle also had two of Chapman's seven hits in the game.

Freshman RHP Natalie Both was near unhittable from the third inning on, retiring 15 of the final 16 batters she faced to earn her eighth win of the season (8-1) for Chapman. Both surrendered just an unearned run in the second inning and fanned seven batters for a three-hit complete game.

The Panthers will host No. 9-ranked Linfield College (Ore.) in an important regional matchup on Friday at El Camino Real. The doubleheader begins at 2 p.m.

Boxscore: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/sball/2012-13/boxscores/20130319_3tca.xml

by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director

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