Orange, Calif. – The Chapman University baseball team earned a 6-4 victory in its home opener at Hart Park against NCAA Division II foe, Biola. The Panthers (1-0) returned to the field after over one year away due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chapman sent five pitchers to the mound in a planned staff outing and combined to strike out 17 Biola batters. Sophomore Wyatt Thompson fanned five while working the seventh and eighth innings.

A grand slam by junior Cooper Foard spearheaded a five-run bottom of the third that gave the Panthers a 5-1 lead. Junior Drew Littwin drove in the Panthers' first run with a scorching double down the left field line and went on to have a two-hit game.

After Biola struck first on a passed ball, the Panthers broke open the game in the third inning. Littwin's double scored graduate transfer Nick Kondo to knot the game at 1-1. Senior Henry Zeisler followed with a walk and senior Mack Cheli was hit by pitch to load the bases for Foard. Foard turned on a pitch and sent one over the fence in left field but jut foul. Two pitches later, he connected again and sent another one out of the park over the National Championship banners in left center.

Biola scratched its way back into the game with a pair of runs in the fourth and another in the seventh to make it 5-4.In the bottom of the eighth Ziesler drove in Kondo for an extra Chapman cushion. Senior Ben Ziv worked his way around a leadoff triple in the ninth to hold on for the win and earn the save.

The Panthers and Biola meet once more on April 7 at Hart Park for another 7 p.m. first pitch.