ORANGE, Calif. - The Chapman University baseball team split a pair of games with East Texas Baptist on Saturday dropping the three game series 1-2 at Hart Park. The Panthers opened the first game of the doubleheader with a 4-3 win, but ultimately fell short to the Tigers 15-12 in game two.

Game 1: Chapman 4, East Texas Baptist 3

The Panthers came out strong in game one, scoring first to take the lead 1-0 in the third when senior Greg Dillon singled up the middle to score sophomore Conner Larkin. Senior David Basen then tripled down the left field line to score sophomore Jared Love in the fourth and put Panthers up 2-0. 

Lifting Chapman to a 3-0 lead, senior Tyler Cook singled up the middle to score freshman Anthony DeNiro in the seventh. The Panthers added their fourth and final run in the eighth when freshman Konnor Zickefoose homered to the right side to lift the Panthers to a 4-0 lead.

The Tigers battled back with a three run effort in the ninth but ultimately came up one run short falling 4-3 in game 1.

Chapman freshman pitcher Matt Mogollon earned his first career win after tossing a full seven innings and giving up just three hits. Freshman Rob Vallone earned his first career save for Chapman after pitching two innings and tossing a strike out.

Game 2: East Texas Baptist 15, Chapman 12

In Game two, the sticks were hot for both teams scoring a combined 15 runs in the first three innings. The Tigers took a 9-6 lead as early as the third inning.

Trailing by three in the fifth, Larkin tripled to deep left center to score three runs and tie the game for the Panthers 9-9. The three run effort by the Panthers wasn't enough and the Tigers posted another four in the sixth to take the lead back 12-9.

The Tigers collected another three to pad their lead 15-9 in the eighth. Chapman cut East Tex. Baptist lead in half scoring three runs in the eighth but the Panthers fell 15-12 in game 2.

Sophomore CF Larkin and senior IF Tim Alhanati finished the day 4-for-8. Freshman DeNiro finished the series with five hits including a two-run homer in the second inning of game three for Chapman.

Chapman will travel to Texas for its next three games before returning home on Feb. 19 for its first SCIAC game against Occidental beginning at 2:30 p.m.

by Raquel Rinauro
Sports Information Assistant

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