ORANGE, Calif. – Late inning rallies continued to provide the drama on Sunday as the Chapman University softball team won 5-4 over Chicago and 6-5 over Bridgewater. Kloe Lobato provided the walkoff winner in the first game and Rose Malen held off Bridgewater in the second game for the pair of wins.
Game 1 – W, 5-4 (8 inns.)
The game was scoreless heading into the seventh. Cameron Burroughs and Brittony Johnson combined for the six scoreless for the Panthers while Chicago's Alana Kimball matched the Panthers in the bottom half of the inning.
An error, a passed ball and wild pitch aided the Maroons in plating three runs in the top of seventh. After six innings of runners left on base, Chapman responded in the bottom half.
Shea Higa knocked in the first run on a bases loaded groundout. With two outs and two runners in scoring position, Aleena Helms kept her red hot weekend alive with a two RBI single on a well struck grounder up the middle.
Chicago jumped back ahead in the eighth with a two-out double to score the placed runner. A walk to Sam Mather and a stolen base then put two runners in scoring position for the Panthers in the eighth.
Lobato came through with a walkoff double over the head of the right fielder, sending Chapman on to the field in celebration.
Game 2 – W, 6-5
Chapman built a 6-1 lead in this one although the game was marred by nine combined errors. Rose Malen was once again solid in the circle, tossing a complete game for her fourth win of the season. She struck out four and allowed just two earned runs.
Helms had two more RBIs with a run-scoring double in the first and another RBI-single in the fourth. Higa also smacked an RBI hit in the fourth with Lobato and Mather tacking on two more runs in the sixth.
The Eagles rallied on the seventh with a walk and three singles to bring two runs home and bring the tying run to the plate. An misthrow on what should have been the final out allowed two more runs to come home before Malen slammed the door with a game-eneding strikeout.
After six games in three days, the Panthers don't take the field again until they cross the Pacific Ocean for six games in Hawaii. Chapman will play March 8-10 in Hawaii against Kenyon, Dickinson and Minn.-Morris.
