ORANGE, CA – Undefeated Chapman University kept its perfect start to the season intact following a doubleheader sweep over the 15th-ranked University of Rochester softball team on Tuesday evening at Chapman's El Camino Real Park.
 
The host Panthers improve to 13-0 so far in 2022, while Rochester falls to 1-7.
 
Game one saw Chapman win 8-1 behind a strong pitching performance from Jillian Kelly. In the nightcap, the teams needed extra innings, with the Panthers emerging with a 11-10 win after UR rallied from as many as eight runs down.
 
After a day off on Wednesday, Rochester returns to action on its California spring break trip with a doubleheader on Thursday against the University of La Verne.
 
GAME 1: Chapman 8, Rochester 1
The Panthers scored eight unanswered runs in the opening game after Rochester scored the first run of the contest in the top of the first inning.
 
Rochester grabbed the early lead thanks to a passed ball, with leadoff hitter Ally Kim scoring after reaching via infield single, stealing second and moving to third on a Bailey Nicholoff single.
 
In the second, Chapman gained the lead with a pair of unearned runs. With two outs, a dropped fly ball allowed a run to score with the next batter, Iliana Serna lacing a single to left center to score the second run of the inning.
 
Chapman put together a big inning in the third, boosting its lead to 6-1 after scoring four runs. A single and error put runners on the corners. A bunt single followed to score a run, two more came across on a Tracie Okumura single with an added error and Julia Muniz ended the scoring with a run scoring single.
 
Meanwhile, Chapman's starting pitcher Jillian Kelly did not allow a Rochester hit from Nicholoff's single in the first to Nicholoff's third at-bat to lead off the sixth inning. She eventually reached third on a wild pitch but was stranded there.
 
The host Panthers added insurance tallied in the fifth and sixth to move its lead to 8-1.
 
In the top of the seventh, UR threatened against Kelly with a two out rally. Katie White singled to third, Loren Castilloux singled up the middle and Kim walked to load the bases, but Nicholoff was stuck out for the final out of the game.
 
Kelly ended up with 12 strikeouts for the Panthers, surrendering one run on five hits in the complete game win, moving to 7-0 on the year.
 
Abbie Biggs got the start and took the loss, giving up six runs over two innings. Christin Napierkowski tossed four innings in relief and gave up two runs.
 
GAME 2: Chapman 11, Rochester 10 (9 innings)
The nightcap was a thrilling comeback by Rochester which fell just short after the Yellowjackets forced extra innings in a contest which they were down eight runs.
 
UR in fact, was one out away from being run ruled when it stormed back from a 9-1 deficit to tie the game 9-all heading into the seventh inning. Rochester scored five runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth.
 
Chapman was able to jump out to its big lead with multiple runs in the second, third and fourth innings. A 2-run triple by Rani Lauwers highlighted a Panther second inning which saw them score four runs.
 
The following inning, Okumura provided an RBI triple and scored on the play after an error in the outfield. Serna made it 7-0 in favor of Chapman with an RBI hit to right.
 

Rochester got on the board thanks to a Katie White single in the fourth, but the Panthers answered with two in the bottom of the inning to boost the lead to 9-1.
 
In the fifth, Savannah Nowak walked to lead off the inning. After two groundouts, UR was one out away from being sent home on the run rule. The groundouts moved Nowak to third, and she began the rally by scoring on a Nicholoff single to third.
 
The next batter, Allison Beckwith was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. White stepped up and slugged a double to deep center, plating two more runs. Hannah Keiper fouled with a deep double of her own, scoring White. Bryce West completed the five-run inning with an RBI base hit up the middle.
 
Lauren Keys came in to pitch in relief started in the fifth and promptly set down the Panthers in order, keeping the momentum on the Yellowjackets side.
 
In the sixth, Rochester got its first two batters on when Alexis Klee and Kim singled. Nicholoff benefitted from an error in the infield and saw Klee scamper across home plate. Beckwith followed with a big 2-run double to left making the score 9-9.
 
Neither team threatened in the seventh and the game headed to extras. Rochester struck first in the eighth when the tiebreaker runner Klee scored on a Nicholoff sacrifice fly.
 
Chapman answered in the bottom of the inning with an Allie Tajii RBI single to right.
 
In the ninth, leadoff batter White was hit by a pitch, giving Rochester two runners on and nobody out. Unfortunately, the Yellowjackets went down in order after that, giving Chapman the chance for the walk-off win.
 
The Panthers produced the winning run with the help of a sacrifice bunt and UR fielding error.
 
Beckwith, White and Loren Castillloux all finished with two hits in game two. White had three RBI while Beckwith had and Nicholoff finished with two. Nicholoff and Klee also scored twice.
 
On the rubber, Keys took the loss but allowed just two hits and two unearned runs over 4.1 innings out of the bullpen. Emily Sharlach was the start and went four innings with three strikeouts while allowing nine runs.