Posted: May 21, 2010
Season ends in Regionals with 6-0 loss to Linfield
McMINNVILLE, Ore. – For the first time since 2004, the Chapman University baseball team is not going to Appleton, Wis for the NCAA Division III Championships. The streak of five-straight West Region titles ended for No.1 seed Chapman with a 6-0 loss to second-seeded Linfield College on Friday afternoon in the elimination game of the 2010 NCAA Division III McMinnville Regional Baseball Tournament at Roy Helser Field.
Linfield’s No.3 starter Reese McCulley
held Chapman’s offense in check all afternoon, allowing just
four runners in scoring position while pitching a complete-game,
four-hit shutout. The senior allowed just four singles and had 10
strikeouts against two walks. Today’s shutout marked the
second time this season that the Panthers’ offense has been
held scoreless and just the fourth time since 2003.
With Linfield (32-11) holding a 4-0 lead in the eighth inning after an hour long rain delay, senior OF Ryan Hall walked to lead off the inning for Chapman (31-11). With one out, sophomore IF Tyler Hadzinsky singled advancing Hall to second but McCulley then retired the next two batters to end the Panthers’ best scoring threat of the game.
The games deciding run came in the top of the first inning when Chapman’s freshman starter Travis McGee gave up back-to-back singles to start the game followed by a sacrifice fly from senior IF Kelson Brown. Linfield pushed its lead to 2-0 in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly to center field by sophomore OF Zach Boskovich that scored junior C Cole Bixenman who reached with a double.
The Wildcats built their lead to 4-0 with runs in the sixth and eighth inning off McGee on a pair of RBI doubles from Brown. The senior finished 2-for-3 with 3 RBI for Linfield.
McGee in his first postseason start pitched 7 2/3 innings while allowing four runs, three earned, on seven hits while striking out two. Seniors Matt Luzar and Ryan Hall each had a hit in their final games for Chapman.
Linfield now faces Pomona-Pitzer tonight at 7 p.m. The Sagehens came into the tournament as the No. 3 seed but are the lone team left in the field without a loss.
Chapman ends its season with 31 wins which is the sixth-straight season that they have won at least that many games.
by Chris Watts
Sports Information Assistant
Sports Information Assistant
Boxscore: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/bsb/2009-10/stats/lin-cu5.htm