Chapman Softball Loses but Still Alive

Wisconsin Stevens Point beat Chapman, 10-0, in a battle of previously unbeaten teams in the winners’ bracket final of the NCAA Division III double-elimination softball tournament Saturday in Salem, Va.

The Panthers drop to the losers’ bracket, where they will meet defending national champion Simpson (Iowa) at 9 a.m. today.

Simpson avenged an opening-round loss to Muskingum with a 4-0 victory in a rematch Saturday night. Only Stevens Point (unbeaten), Simpson and Chapman (one loss each) remain in the tournament.

Chapman (37-8), which scored eight runs in each of its first two tournament victories, had two hits Saturday--singles by Jenni Bankhus and Lacee Rashi--against Stevens Point pitcher Kelly Blaha (19-5). Blaha also pitched a shutout against Messiah in the Pointers’ opening-round 1-0 victory.

In three tournament games, Stevens Point (42-14) has given up one run. “Blaha was a great pitcher; she was on tonight,” Chapman Coach Janet Lloyd said.

The Pointers scored two runs in the second inning and broke the game open in the third with five more runs.

“We’ve been behind [this season] before and come back,” Lloyd said, “but not by seven runs.”

Of Chapman’s seven previous losses, three were 2-1 scores, two were by two runs, and one (4-1) came in extra innings. Only Cal Lutheran scored 10 runs against the Panthers this season before Saturday, and Chapman won, 11-10, in nine innings.

Catie Lacy, Chapman’s starting pitcher Saturday, gave up the first two runs, but did not return to the mound in the third inning. Linsey Buendia came on in relief.

“My pitching coach [made the decision to pull Lacy],” Lloyd said. “Lacy couldn’t find the strike zone.” But Buendia was erratic as well, walking the first two batters she faced. After retiring Cari Briley on a grounder, she gave up three consecutive singles. That plus a passed ball, a wild pitch, an error and a sacrifice fly led to a 7-0 lead.

Stevens Point’s offensive surge was led by first baseman Charity Czappa and catcher Michelle Gerber, each of whom had three hits. Gerber also had four RBIs.

Chapman had defeated Stevens Point four consecutive times over the past two years, including in an NCAA tournament game in 1996. “They had a little revenge factor going tonight,” Lloyd said.

Should Chapman get past Simpson today, the Panthers would play Stevens Point at noon in what could be the tournament’s final game. Should either Chapman or Simpson beat Stevens Point today, however, the tournament’s final game will be a rematch played Monday.