ORANGE, Calif. – A day that began with a no-hitter from Simi Lauwers, ended with a series clinching walkoff from Samantha Kennedy in a doubleheader split with visiting La Verne. The Panthers split the doubleheader but took the series from La Verne with a 2-1 loss in the early game and 7-6 walkoff victory in game two.
With the split, the Panther improved to 18-10 overall and 9-4 in the SCIAC.
Game 1 – L, 2-1
Lauwers' first career no-hitter kept the Panthers in the game but a handful of defensive miscues in the first inning and a lack of offense led to a tough loss. The Leopards scratched across two runs in the first and Jana Coria made it hold up to even the series.
Lauwers struck out six and walked none but hit a pair of batters without allowing a hit. She needed just 88 pitches to toss the first no-hitter for Chapman since Jillian Kelly's career-opening no-hitter in 2022.
The game opened with Lauwers plunking Sydney Diaz, who was quickly sacrificed over to second. The Panther defense followed with an error, two passed palls and a catcher's interference to help two runs cross the plate without a hit. Diaz scored on a sacrifice fly and the second run came across on the passed ball.
Lauwers responded to the second run by striking out the next four batters and retiring the next seven before hitting another batter in the fourth. She retired the last 12 batters in order to secure the no-hitter.
Miranda Murphy tripled in the third and came home on Ilianna Serna's single for the Panthers only run.
Coria limited the Panthers to one run on five hits and struck out one without issuing a free pass to get the win.
Game 2 – W, 7-6
The Panthers fell into a 6-0 hole early in the game but fought their way out to win the series on a walkoff infield single from Kennedy. Kennedy's heroics secured the series victory for Chapman and earned the win for Rose Malen in the circle, who tossed a complete game.
The Panthers entered the seventh down 6-5 but loaded the bases with one out. Mo Lynch's long sacrifice fly into left tied the game at 6-6. Chapman loaded the bases again for Kennedy with two away.
With two strikes, Kennedy hit a comebacker to the circle. The ball deflected off Coria's glove to the Leopards second baseman. She picked it up and flipped a throw to first but the speedy Kennedy beat the throw to first as Serna scored the winning run and completed the comeback.
La Verne manufactured a run in the first inning and put up a five-spot in the second to take the initial 6-0 lead. Two Chapman errors and three La Verne singles brought in five unearned runs in the inning.
After allowing the six runs on five hits in the first two innings, Malen allowed just two more hits over the final five frames while keeping La Verne off the board. She struck out five and walked three in the win.
The Panthers offense stated to come to life with a run in the fourth but sparked with a four-run fifth. Milla Fukuda bunted her way on and Kennedy scored behind the throw. Serna singled in another and Jojo Westerfield knocked in another run and Lynch singled with two out to make it 6-5.
Serna was 3-for-4 in the game with an RBI. Lynch drove in a pair of RBIs. Miranda Murphy walked three times.
The Panthers finish their series with a doubleheader at Occidental on Tuesday and take on Cal Lutheran in a three-game series next weekend.
