Three-run seventh, walk-off earns Panthers another split

ORANGE, Calif. - The Chapman University softball team tied the game in the bottom of the seventh on a suicide squeeze bunt and then won it with a walk-off RBI single from freshman IF Kyla Javier as the Panthers came from behind to win 6-5 in Game 2 and earn a doubleheader split with visiting Concordia University on Thursday night at El Camino Park. Concordia took Game 1 of the twin bill 6-1.

Game 1: Concordia 6, Chapman 1
The Eagles used a five-run third inning to power their way to a 6-1 victory, their fifth straight to start the season. A three-run double by Shannon Walton was the big blow in the inning for Concordia which strung together four of its six hits all in the inning.

Chapman's freshman RHP Sarah Solis settled down to retire 11 batters in a row until Concordia pushed across an unearned insurance run in the seventh.

The Panthers were held to just four hits - all singles - including an RBI single by senior IF Dani Brown in the bottom of the first. Otherwise, Eagles' RHP Courtney Young was sharp, striking out six Chapman batters in the win.

Game 2: Chapman 6, Concordia 5
After surrendering three runs in the top of the seventh to fall behind 5-3, Chapman (2-2) rallied for three runs of its own in the bottom of the inning to win in a walk-off. Javier delivered the clutch two-out, two-strike single to the right-centerfield gap, sending home senior IF Melanie Villarroel with the game-winning run. Two batters earlier, it was sophomore IF Courtney James who dropped a squeeze bunt to tie the game 5-5.

It was a back-and-forth affair after the Panthers led 1-0 with an unearned run in the third inning. Concordia (5-1) rallied for two runs in the fifth, but Chapman regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning. The Panthers scored twice thanks to a two-out, two-run single up the middle by James to give them a 3-2 advantage.

The score was still 3-2 in the seventh when Chapman RHP Vanessa Goncalves appeared to run out of gas. The senior, who had limited Concordia to just four hits in the first six innings, allowed five hits and three runs in the seventh before being lifted. Senior RHP Ally Waffle worked out of the jam and earned her first win of the year after the Panthers rallied. Chapman capitalized on five Eagles errors to score five unearned runs in the game.

by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director

Boxscores:
Game 1: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/sball/2009-10/stats/cui-cu1.htm
Game 2: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/sball/2009-10/stats/cui-cu2.htm