ORANGE, Calif. –Four early runs propelled the Chapman University softball team to a 7-3 victory over the hosts, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, in the first elimination game of the SCIAC Tournament. Jillian Kelly picked up the win in the circle with four strong innings in relief.

Kelly entered in a jam in the third and gave up a sacrifice fly before baffling the Athenas through the rest of the game. She allowed just one hit and walked a pair over 4.2 scoreless innings. She also struck out three.

Ella Milante went 2-for-3 and drove in three RBIs to lead the Panthers at the plate. The Panthers plated their seven runs on 12 hits and did not commit an error. Morgan Lastinger and Grace Fosselman also had a pair of hits for the Panthers.

Chapman jumped on top out of the gates with four runs in the first. Fosselman came through with a bases loaded single to plate the first two runs and Milante followed with another two-run single to make it 4-0.

Three runs in the third brought CMS back into the game but the Panthers responded in the fourth when Christina Denlinger sprinted home on an error. Sam Kennedy doubled in another run in the sixth and Milante doubled in another insurance run in the seventh.

The Panthers take on Pomona-Pitzer in another elimination game at 4 p.m.

By Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director