Panthers win a playoff classic against an old rival

McMINNVILLE, Ore. - Sophomore RHP John Semel had already driven in three runs in the game on two key at-bats that each tied the game. Now the Panthers' closer was standing on the mound with the tying run at second base and one out in the ninth inning, trying to nail down a Chapman victory that would put the Panthers two wins away from a fifth straight regional championship.

Two strikeouts later (Semel struck out the side in the ninth), the No. 5 seed Chapman University baseball team advanced as the only unbeaten team in the six-team NCAA Division III West Region championships with a thrilling 7-6 victory over rival Cal Lutheran University at Roy Hesler Field on Friday night.

The game featured four lead changes and three ties and revitalized a rivalry that goes back over 13 years. In fact, from 1997 through 2001, Chapman and Cal Lutheran knocked one another out of the playoffs five straight years in one of the fiercest rivalries in all of Division III. This postseason marks the first time the two teams have met in the regional playoffs since 2001.

Sophomore IF Tyler Hadzinsky singled home the go-ahead run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to give Chapman (28-14) a 7-6 lead. Semel pitched the final three innings and stranded the tying run on second base in both the eighth and ninth innings to secure the win and improve to 1-2 this season.

The see-saw scoring started right away. After a leadoff triple and double got Cal Lutheran (32-10) on the board with a run in the top of the first, Chapman responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning. Junior OF Ryan Prechtl singled to start the inning, advanced to third on a single by freshman DH Ben Owens, and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Semel to tie the game 1-1.

Chapman took a brief 2-1 lead in the second, but the Kingsmen scored twice in the third and once more in the fourth to build a 4-2 advantage.

In the fifth inning, the Panthers still trailed by two when Owens drew a one-out walk and Semel followed with a two-run homer to left to once again tie the game. It was Semel's team-leading 11th home run of the season.

Cal Lutheran regained the lead in its half of the sixth with a single run, but with two outs and two on, Prechtl doubled home both runners to take a 6-5 lead. Prechtl's clutch double was one of four hits on the night as he finished 4-for-5.

The Kingsmen rallied again for a run off of Semel in the seventh, but Hadzinsky came through for Chapman with the aforementioned game-winner in the bottom of the inning. Hadzinsky was 3-for-3 at the plate.

Sophomore RHP Jordan Sigman scattered eight hits and five runs while striking out three in six innings of work, but was not around for the decision.

The next chapter of the Chapman-Cal Lutheran rivalry could happen as early as Saturday. The Panthers will face the winner of Saturday afternoon's elimination game between No. 1 Pomona-Pitzer and No. 3 Cal Lutheran. Chapman will play one of those teams at 7 p.m. on Saturday with the winner advancing to Sunday's championship game. The Panthers are four-time defending West Region champions.

Box score: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/bsb/2008-09/stats/clu-cu2.htm