COLLEGE SOFTBALL / NCAA DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIP : Guidorizzi’s 20 Strikeouts Key Chapman’s First-Round Victory

Chapman’s Christy Guidorizzi struck out 20 batters, including the first 10 of the game, as the Panthers opened the NCAA Division III softball championship with a 5-0 victory over Allegheny (Pa.) Friday in Storm Lake, Iowa.

At noon today, second-ranked Chapman (41-5) will play Central (Iowa), which upset top-ranked Trenton (N.J.) State, 3-2. Central is 35-11. The winner of today’s game would have to win only one game Sunday to be champion.

Guidorizzi, a freshman from Phoenix, struck out the side in every inning except the fourthand broke the division championship record of 16. She also broke the Division III national record of 19, set by Allegheny’s Laurie Machuga this season. Machuga (24-6) struck out six Chapman batters Friday.

Allegheny (34-9) is no slouch. The Gators are ranked No. 3 in Division III and beat Rowan (N.J.), 8-0, in the first round Thursday, but they only managed three hits off Guidorizzi.

Chapman (41-5) gave its starter plenty of support. The Panthers scored three in the first and two in the third. Catcher Kathy Donovan, a junior from Fullerton College and Anaheim High, drove in the first run with a double over the head of left fielder Lisa Klingensmith. Junior Lisa Cancilla then hit a sacrifice fly to center and freshman Lacee Rashi singled to left to drive in the third run.

In the third, freshman Jessamine Maiben bunted for a single, stole second and scored when Donovan hit her fourth home run of the season.

Guidorizzi was nearly unhittable. Anne Lawrence broke up her perfect game and strikeout streak with an infield single with one out in the fourth. Lawrence moved to third on two wild pitches before Guidorizzi struck out Tara Dickert on a 3-and-2 pitch. Jen Jacobs then grounded out to third, recording the only Allegheny out not by a strikeout.

After striking out the side in the fifth and striking out the first batter of the sixth, Guidorizzi got into a bit of trouble. She walked the next two batters, then Lawrence reached on another infield single to load the bases.

Guidorizzi struck out the next two batters.

Allegheny’s Abby Kennedy doubled to right-center field with one out in the top of the seventh but Guidorizzi continued her pattern--she struck out the final two batters of the game.

It was Guidorizzi’s 13th shutout, which lowered her earned-run average to 0.65. She has 262 strikeouts in 182 innings.