ORANGE, Calif. – Another dominant start from Rose Malen paired with some timely hitting led the Chapman University softball team to a 7-0 series-opening victory over La Verne. The Panthers improved to 21-6 overall and 9-4 in the SCIAC with the victory.

Malen continued to make a case as the Pitcher of the Year with her fifth shutout of the season. She dropped her ERA to 0.88 while scattering five singles over seven scoreless innings. She struck out seven without issuing a walk.

The Panthers backed Malen with two runs in second and two more in the third to take the 4-0 lead. Ilianna Serna went 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored to lead the offense. Grace Fosselman put the Panthers on the board in the second and Charisma Ortel added on with a sacrifice fly.

The Panthers seemed to have traffic on the basepaths all game long with 11 hits, including doubles from Serna and Mo Lynch. La Verne's defense also committed four errors, including a dropped fly in the fifth that brought home two more runs for Chapman.

Morgan Lastinger and Lynch came through with RBI hits in the third while Serna's RBI-single added some insurance in the seventh.

The Panthers will look to clinch the series victory in a doubleheader at La Verne tomorrow beginning at noon.