Both stars at-bat and in-circle as softball sweeps Oxy

ORANGE, Calif. – Sophomore RHP Natalie Both starred for the Chapman University softball team on Sunday, both offensively and in the pitching circle as the Panthers swept a SCIAC doubleheader from visiting Occidental College 3-0 and 4-3 at El Camino Real Park. The wins even up Chapman's overall and SCIAC records before the Panthers hit the road for the first time this season.

Game 1: Chapman 3, Occidental 0

Both tossed a three-hit, complete-game shutout against the Tigers to earn her first victory of the season. The righty frustrated the Occidental (1-9 overall, 0-4 SCIAC) bats throughout the contest, striking out eight and allowing just one hit over her final four innings of work.

The sophomore got all the offense she needed provided by freshman IF Amber Perez (3-for-3) who drove in a pair with run-scoring singles in the first and third innings and then stole a base and scored in the third on a booming double to left by sophomore C Lisa Perez. Sophomore IF Larissa Rinauro went 2-for-3 with a run scored and one of the Panthers' five stolen bases in the game.

Boxscore: http://chapmanathletics.com/sports/sball/2013-14/boxscores/20140216_rx0s.xml

Game 2: Chapman 4, Occidental 3

This time Both helped the Panthers rally from a sixth-inning 2-0 deficit as Chapman (3-3 overall, 2-2 SCIAC) plated four in the bottom half of the inning to come-from-behind to win. After Amber Perez led off the inning with a single, Both followed with a two-run inside-the-park homer into the right-centerfield gap to tie the game at 2-2. The Panthers would tack on two more unearned runs in the inning and Both, this time in relief, made the lead stand up.

Starting pitcher Amber Perez allowed a pair of unearned runs in the first three innings before giving way to junior Taylor Cartwright who threw a perfect fourth. Both returned to the circle in the fifth and tossed the final three innings, giving up just one seventh-inning run and stranding the tying run on second base with one final strikeout on the day. It was Both's second win on the day as she improved to 2-2 this season.

Lisa Perez finished 2-for-3 in the game with another double.

Boxscore: http://chapmanathletics.com/sports/sball/2013-14/boxscores/20140216_krh7.xml

After splitting the first six games of the season, all at home, Chapman will travel to No. 21-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday, Feb. 22 for a doubleheader beginning at noon.

by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director 

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