ORANGE, Calif. – A career day from freshman Simi Lauwers led the Chapman University softball team to a 7-2 win over third-seeded La Verne in the first game of the SCIAC Postseason Tournament. The win is the first for the Panthers in the SCIAC Postseason Tournament since joining the conference in 2013.

Lauwers struck out 13 batters – nearly doubling her previous career-high – to get her third win of the season. She allowed a pair of runs on four hits and walked one to deliver her best performance in the biggest game of the season.

The Panthers put pressure on La Verne all game long with a runner on base in every inning. Junior Allie Tajii put the Panthers on the board when she danced off second to draw a throw from the catcher. The throw sailed into right center and Tajii came around to score.

The Leopards tied it in the third after a triple from Hailee Hsieh and a run-scoring single. With two on and two out in the fifth, freshman Summer Lake hit a bouncer to short. Senior Mykala Tokunaga leapt over the approaching bouncer and it was misplayed to allow Julia Muniz to score from third.

After Hsieh came through with a run-scoring double, the Panthers opened the game up in the bottom half of the fifth. Senior Zela Chahbazian knocked in a run with an infield single and Muniz came home on an error to give Chapman the 4-2 lead. Junior Rani Lauwers padded the lead for her sister with a two-RBI single to make it 6-2.

Chapman added one more in the seventh to the five-run win. Junior Tracie Okumura had another two-hit game as did Chahbazian. Muniz went 1-for-1 but also walked twice.

The Panthers move into the winner's bracket to take on Redlands tomorrow in Redlands at 1 p.m. A win will propel them into the championship game on Sunday but a loss will force another Saturday game immediately following the matchup with Redlands.

By Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director

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