ORANGE, Calif. - The Chapman University baseball team did
all the damage it needed in the first two innings, scoring seven
runs and defeating visiting Cal Lutheran University 9-2 at Hart
Park on Friday afternoon. The game featured two of the top-20 teams
in Division III with Chapman entering the weekend ranked No. 9 and
Cal Lutheran No. 18 in the nation according to D3Baseball.com.
A three-run home run by senior IF Tristan
Phillips with one out in the first was all the offense the
Panthers would need. Chapman (11-4) scored four in that frame and
then struck for three more runs in the second inning to back
two-time All-America RHP Wayde Kitchens. The
senior improved to 4-1 this season and pitched his second complete
game of the year, tossing an eight-hitter and striking out eight
Kingsmen.
Meanwhile, the Panthers had another big day at the plate. Senior
IF Patrick Ohail led the 16-hit attack, going
4-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Sophomore OF John
Semel reached base in all five plate appearances with
three hits, a triple, two walks and two stolen bases. Junior IF
Halston Barcelo also had three hits for Chapman.
Chapman tacked on two more runs in the eighth on a bases-loaded
ground rule double by sophomore C Adam Kordich.
The Panthers have had no less than 13 hits in a game during their
current six-game winning streak.
Cal Lutheran (10-2) suffered just its second loss of the season
and managed only single runs in the second and fourth innings. The
run in the fourth came on a solo home run by Paul
Hartmann - his fourth of the season.
The two teams will conclude their home-and-home series on
Saturday in Thousand Oaks at 1 p.m.
