Seventh inning rally pushes softball into championship game

ORANGE, Calif. – It's on to the championship round of the SCIAC Tournament for the Chapman University softball team. The Panthers survived another Saturday elimination game with a 4-1 win over Pomona-Pitzer.

All the scoring came in the seventh as Chapman freshman Rose Malen and Pomona-Pitzer sophomore Devin Waddell locked in another pitcher's duel through six scoreless frames. Malen struck out four, walked one and scattered six hits. Waddell fanned a pair, walked one and allowed just two hits through the first six innings.

With the pitchers trading zeroes, the Panthers finally put some traffic on the basepaths and broke through in the top of the seventh. A walk to Grace Fosselman, a sacrifice bunt from Summer Lake and a single from Ella Milante put two one with one out.

Katie Carder stole second after entering as a pinch runner or Milante but Waddell struck out the next batter for the second out. Miranda Murphy, who hit two game-winners in last year's tournament, struck again as she landed a single into right center to bring both runners home.

Ilianna Serna added another two-out, two-RBI single later in the inning to push the lead to 4-0. The Sagehens did not go down quietly as they loaded the bases with one out and pushed across a run on an RBI-groundout. The next batter grounded to short and Fosselman fired to first for the final out, putting Chapman in the championship round for the third year in a row.

The Panthers emerged from the loser's bracket and will take on Redlands for the SCIAC Tournament title. The Panthers must win twice to repeat as tournament champions. The first pitch is scheduled for noon at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

By Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director