Softball ends busy week with split with Manhattanville

ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University softball team finished off its four-day, eight-game stretch with a doubleheader split against Manhattanville, falling 3-1 and winning 5-0. Simi Lauwers tossed a complete game shutout in game two and the Panthers finished their busiest stretch of the season with a 6-2 record over the last four days.

Game 1 – L, 3-1

Charli Shinstine tossed the complete game for the Valiants to pick up her fourth win of the week. She tossed 131 pitches and struck out seven while allowing just five hits. Ilianna Serna accounted for two of those five Chapman hits, lacing a pair of singles in her first two at bats.

Rose Malen had another strong outing in the circle. She allowed just four hits and struck out three while issuing only one walk. The Valiants strung a couple of bloop singles together in the first inning for their only run against Malen.

The Panthers rallied with two outs in the fifth, starting when Miranda Murphy swiped second. Mia Reyes followed with an infield single to put runners on the corners and Grace Fosselman beat out a slow roller to second base to score Murphy. Fosselman's RBI-single tied the game at 1-1.

Chapman went to the bullpen and Izzy Epstein but the Valiants welcomed her with two runs on three hits in the sixth – more than enough cushion for Shinstine to close out the game.

Game 2 – W, 5-0

Lauwers shut down the Manhattanville lineup as the sun set behind El Camino Real Park. She needed just 83 pitches to complete the shutout victory while allowing scattering three hits. With no walks or errors in the game, the Valiants put just four runners on base in the entire game. She also struck out eight.

The Panthers couldn't get much going offensively until the bottom of the fourth. Serna drew a one-out walk and Gracie Rose followed with a base hit up the middle to break up the no-hitter.

A run scored when Taylor Corcoran laid down a bunt and a late throw to first go away to move up the runners. Morgan Lastinger then followed with a line drive into right field against the backdrop of the setting sun. The ball disappeared into the sunlight and rolled all the way to the wall, allowing Lastinger to complete a trip all the way around the bases for a three-run inside the park homer.

Fosselman singled in another run in the fifth for good measure, which was more than enough for the cruising Lauwers. She ran into a bit of trouble in the sixth with runners on second and third with no outs but escaped the jam with a strikeout and a pair of pop ups into center.

With a 6-2 record over the last four days, the Panthers improved to 10-5 on the season. They are next scheduled to take on North Central next Thursday in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.

By Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director

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