Chapman Falls in Championship

Chapman got eight hits and advanced seven runners to third base but lost to Wisconsin Stevens Point, 3-1, in the NCAA Division III softball title game here Monday.

The Panthers got a runner to third in every inning but the fourth and needed an error to score in the third inning against winning pitcher Kelly Blaha (20-5).

Blaha gave up eight hits, walked three and struck out four. She pitched a two-hit shutout Saturday in Wisconsin Stevens Point’s 10-0 victory over Chapman in a winners’ bracket game.

Chapman forced Monday’s title game by beating the Pointers on Sunday, 6-3.

“We just got together and reinforced the idea that what we’d been doing all year was good enough,” Pointers Coach Dean Shuda said. “We were fortunate that they hit balls just within our reach a couple of times.”

The Panthers’ only run Monday came when Amie Barnes scored on a two-out grounder hit by Dawn Lopez.

The Pointers (43-15) were ahead, 2-1, thanks to Jill Kristof’s two-run homer in the first inning. Kristof, who also homered Sunday against Chapman, had three homers in 176 at-bats this season.

The Panthers (39-9) loaded the bases in the fifth on a single by Jenni Bankus, a double by Stephanie Carew and a walk to Lacee Rashi. Katie Chauvin’s fly-ball out ended the threat.

“[Blaha] pitched a great game,” Chapman Coach Janet Lloyd said, “but we only got two hits off her Saturday night and we got eight off her today. We outhit them, but we left 11 on base. It was hard to keep our team up when we couldn’t get the runs home.”

Chapman pitcher Jessamine Maiben (8-4) gave up six hits in six innings. Senior starters Maiben and Rashi were on Chapman’s 1995 NCAA championship team. “This was a great team,” Maiben said. “I love this team.”

Bankus (10 for 19, .526) and Maiben (9 for 19, .474) were Chapman’s most productive hitters during the six-game tournament.