ORANGE, Calif. – Back-to-back shutouts kept the Chapman University softball team undefeated in its first four games with a doubleheader sweep of Brandeis. Rose Malen tossed her first shutout of the season in the 5-0 opener and Jillian Kelly tossed a three-hit shutout in a 3-0 nightcap victory.
GAME 1 – W, 5-0
Malen continued a dominant start to her junior campaign with seven strikeouts in a three-hit shutout of the Judges. Malen did not allow a hit until the fourth inning and surrendered just three singles in yet another pitchers' duel.
While Malen cruised through the lineup in the top half of the inning, Kathryn Vanmuelen was just as effective through the first five inning for Brandeis. She had allowed just one hit entering the sixth inning although she had walked four.
In the sixth, the Panthers broke through with the help of a couple of errors and wild pitches. With two on and one out, Morgan Lastinger gave the Panthers the lead with a sharp bouncer to the left side to score the first run. Grace Fosselman followed with a run-scoring double and Samantha Kennedy hit a two-out RBI-single to make it 3-0.
Malen quickly slammed the door in the seventh with the 5-0 lead to move Chapman to 3-0 on the year.
GAME 2 – W, 3-0
Kelly followed Malen's shutout with a shutout of her own. She also allowed just three hits and struck out seven but issued no free passes. She did not allow a runner into scoring position until a one-out triple in the seventh gave Brandeis its first threat. The senior left needed just 76 pitches to finish off the complete game.
The Panthers' offense didn't wait until the sixth in the late game to take the lead but did tack on a pair of late runs. Ilianna Serna doubled in a run in the third inning to give Chapman a 1-0 lead. Grace Fosselman  singled in another pair of runs in the sixth for a the final inning insurance runs.
Chapman improved to 4-0 with the wins over Brandeis but have been dominant in the circle. Malen and Kelly have combined for a 0.54 ERA with 29 strikeouts in the first four games. While the Panthers are hitting .308 as a team, their opponents are hitting just .141.
Chapman is set to take on Whittier on Sunday at noon in SCIAC doubleheader.
