ORANGE, Calif. -  Behind a complete-game three-hitter from freshman RHP Brian Rauh, the Chapman University baseball team split a Monday doubleheader with Southern California rival Pomona-Pitzer Colleges and captured the rubber match in the three-game season series with a 2-1 win at Hart Park. The visiting Sagehens won Game 1 of the doubleheader Monday afternoon with a 12-5 decision.

By winning the nightcap, Chapman, ranked No. 7 in Division III by D3Baseball.com, took two of three in the weekend series with No. 12 Pomona-Pitzer. The Panthers had taken the series opener 8-4 in Claremont on Friday afternoon.

Game 1: Pomona-Pitzer 12, Chapman 5
The Sagehens broke open a 4-4 tie in the eighth inning with eight runs over the final two innings off the Chapman bullpen. The Panthers' pitching staff paid the toll of 12 bases on balls in the game as Pomona cashed in 12 earned runs on 12 hits - both season-highs for Panthers' opponents.

The Panthers took a 1-0 lead into the fifth inning, but the Sagehens rallied for three runs in the inning with RBI singles from sophomore IF Kyle Pokorny and junior IF Teddy Bingham.

Later in the inning Chapman cut the lead by a run with a sacrifice fly by freshman OF James Parr. Then, trailing 4-2 the Panthers tied the game in the seventh inning after an RBI triple from senior OF Ryan Prechtl and a sacrifice fly by junior IF Tyler Hadzinsky.

Pomona-Pitzer IF James Kang's two-run homer in the eighth gave the Sagehens the lead for good and they tacked on six more insurance runs before the game was over.

Game 2: Chapman 2, Pomona-Pitzer 1
Rauh took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning before surrendering a leadoff home run to Kang - his second of the day - which tied the game at 1-1. It was the only blemish in an otherwise outstanding performance by the rookie right-hander who struck out 11 batters and improved to 3-0 this season.

Chapman (10-2) answered in the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run from senior IF Matt Luzar to take a 2-1 lead. It was Luzar's team-leading fourth roundtripper of the season and it proved to be the game-winner as Rauh would limit the Sagehens to just one more hit in the eighth and ninth innings each to earn the complete-game victory.

The Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Parr legged out a two-out infield single and pinch runner Charlie Piro came around to score on senior C Joe Lehman's triple to center. Prechtl had two of Chapman's six hits in the game to extend his hitting streak to 15 games, including the first 12 games of this season.

For Pomona-Pitzer (7-4), LHP Leo Rosetti nearly matched Rauh strikeout for strikeout, scattering six hits and striking out nine despite suffering the loss.

by Doug Aiken & Lindsay Jones
Sports Information Director & Sports Information Intern

Boxscores:
Game 1: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/bsb/2009-10/stats/pp-cu1.htm
Game 2: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/bsb/2009-10/stats/pp-cu2.htm