ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University baseball team fell 8-7 o visiting Oberlin on Tuesday. The Panthers nearly fought back from an early deficit but fell for the fifth game in a row.

A seven-run first inning proved too much to overcome as Oberlin jumped out to the early lead and then held on late. Four walks, two hit batters and a grand slam led to the 7-0 hole before the Panthers even had a chance to bat.

Chapman scored in five of the first six innings to slowly chip away at the lead. In the sixth, Ryan Nopper put the Panthers within a run when he knocked in Austin Dudas with a ground ball to first. While the bullpen was able to hold Oberlin to a single run over the final eight frames, Chapman had just one baserunner in the final three innings.

Six Panther pitchers combined for 13 walks and 14 strikeouts and forced the Yeoman to leave 12 runners on base. Blake Wittman and Finean Hunter-Kenney each pitched two scoreless innings with Hunter-Kenney striking out six, including a four-strikeout inning in the eighth.

The Panthers jump back into SCIAC play against nationally-ranked Cal Lutheran this weekend for a three-game series. Friday's game will be in Thousand Oaks, Calif. and Saturday's doubleheader will be played at Hart Park beginning at 11 a.m.