Both deals in doubleheader split with Whittier

ORANGE, Calif. – Senior Natalie Both was superb in the circle in game two as the Chapman University softball team split a doubleheader with Whittier on Tuesday. Whittier took the first game 9-2 but the Panthers battled back to take the second game 7-1. Senior Larissa Rinauro was 5-for-6 on the day to lead the Panthers offensively.

Game 1 – L, 9-2

An eight-run seventh essentially decided the ball game as Whittier sent 14 batters to the plate to secure the win. The Poets were leading just 1-0 in a pitchers' duel heading into the final frame.

Freshman Samantha Whalen allowed just one run on five hits while striking out four through the first six frames but quickly ran into trouble in the seventh. Three singles, a double, a sacrifice bunt and a hit batter turned a 1-0 deficit into a 4-0 hole and the Panthers went to the bullpen.

Whittier kept its rally alive as the Panthers walked in the four runs while Megan Troutman knocked in a run with her second single of the inning.

Chapman put up two in the seventh but were unable to come all the way back. A couple of errors and a walk helped bring in the first run as pinch runner Kristen Yee scored when Gabrielle Leveratto's single was misplayed in center. Leveratto later scored on Analisa Ruff's double.

Game 2 – W, 7-1

Both was dealing in the circle as she limited Whittier's lineup to just one run on six hits while striking out a pair. The Poets had just one runner in scoring position after the first inning and Both retired eight in a row between the third and sixth innings.

Whittier did all of its damage in the first with back-to-back one-out singles followed by Sarah Crawford's RBI-double. However the Panthers caught fire with the bats. They pounded out 16 hits to plate seven runs and end their recent slide.

Rinauro was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI and was one of four Panthers with three hits in the game. Lisa Perez was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI-single. Amber Perez was 3-for-3 but reached base all four times as she walked, singled twice and homered. Amy Serven was also 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

The Panthers immediately responded as back-to-back doubles by Ruff and Rinauro tied the game at 1-1 in the first. Rinauro was a spark again in the third when she beat out a bunt single and rounded all the way to third after the throw to first sailed down the right field line. She later scored on Amber Perez's single to give the Panthers the lead.

Another run came across in the fourth but the Panthers jumped way out in front in the fifth as three more crossed the plate on Amber Perez's homer, Leveratto's triple and Serven's safety squeeze.

The Panthers head to Whittier on Friday to complete the four-game series with the Poets but return home on Saturday for Senior Day against Pomona-Pitzer for a noon doubleheader.

by Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director

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