Whittier steals opening series with another comeback

ORANGE, Calif. -  For the second time in as many days the Whittier College baseball team rallied from a 6-0 deficit to defeat Division III's No. 2-ranked Chapman University. In the back end of Saturday's doubleheader at Hart Park, the Poets scored four runs in the top of the ninth and then a run in the 10th to upset the Panthers and take two of three in the season-opening weekend series for both teams.

Game 1: Chapman 8, Whittier 2

Sophomore RHP Jordan Sigman pitched seven innings of four-hit ball for the Panthers to give them their first win of the season. Sigman struck out six, allowed just two runs and received plenty of run support from the Chapman offense which opened up a 4-2 game with four runs in the fifth. In the inning, sophomores Adam Kordich and Tyler Hadzinsky each had an RBI and scored a run.

Every Chapman starter had at least one hit as the Panthers totaled 14 for the second straight game. Kordich finished 2-for-4 with a double and sophomore OF John Semel was 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. Freshman OF Eric Robbins drove in a pair of runs and stole a base, as well.

Game 2: Whittier 10, Chapman 9 (10 inn.)

Leading 6-0 in the sixth inning Chapman slowly saw its lead, and eventually the win, erode away. The Poets scored three on a bases loaded double by DH Andrew Vallejo in the sixth to cut the Panthers' lead in half. In the ninth, Chapman maintained an 8-5 lead with two outs and a runner on base, but Whittier got an RBI double and an RBI single followed by a two-run home run by 1B Austin Strauss to capture its first lead of the game 9-8. Vallejo finished the game 3-for-5 with six RBI.

Chapman rallied back in the bottom of the ninth with an RBI double by senior 1B Patrick Ohail - one of two doubles for Ohail in the game.

Whittier reclaimed the lead in the 10th with a scoring flyball only to have Chapman put the tying and winning runs in scoring position with one out in the bottom of the inning. The Panthers would load the bases with two outs, but could not push across a run.

For the Panthers, Semel reached base five times, going 4-for-5 with four RBI, including his second home run in as many days. He was a triple shy of the cycle.