Chapman rides right arm of Irsfeld to stay alive
GRAND CHUTE, Wis. - The Chapman University baseball team capitalized from four Rams miscues to score three unearned runs and the Panthers defeated Farmingdale State College (N.Y.) 4-2 in an elimination game at the NCAA Division III baseball championships at Fox Cities Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Chapman (31-16) stays alive and will face the Kean University (N.J.) in another elimination game on Sunday at noon (CST). Chapman and Kean split two games in Orange earlier this season.
The Panthers received an outstanding performance on the mound from senior RHP Matt Irsfeld who, by improving to 3-0 in the postseason, already has more wins than he had during the regular season (2-2). The righty went the distance, allowing just two runs on six hits and striking out seven batters. Irsfeld struck out the side in order in the seventh and was perfect after the sixth inning for his first career complete game.
It was also in the seventh that Chapman snapped a 2-2 tie without a base hit, or the ball leaving the infield. Junior OF Ryan Hall led off the inning with a hit by pitch and advanced to second on junior OF Ryan Prechtl's fielder's choice-sacrifice bunt.
Freshman DH Ben Owens followed with a sacrifice that the Rams' third baseman threw into left field in an attempt to get Hall at third. Hall came around to score Chapman's third unearned run for the day to give the Panthers a 3-2 lead.
Chapman added an insurance run - legitimately - in the eighth. Junior IF Halston Barcelo hit a one-out double into the gap in left-center, advanced to third on a single by sophomore IF Tyler Hadzinsky and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior C Joe Lehman.
Barcelo and Hadzinsky were also in the middle of Chapman's first run of the game in the fourth inning. With two outs, they hit back-to-back singles and Barcelo came all the way around to score on a fielding error by the Rams' left fielder. Hadzinsky was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double and a sac fly. Barcelo had two hits and scored two runs.
Box score: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/bsb/2008-09/stats/fsc-cu.htm