Panthers take first two in showdown with Dallas

ORANGE, Calif. – The No. 15-ranked Chapman University baseball team opened a crucial three-game series against fellow West Region independent University of Dallas with a pair of wins on Saturday afternoon at Hart Park. The Panthers got a 6-5 walk-off win in the first game thanks to an RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning from junior IF Tyler Hadzinsky. Senior RHP Jordan Sigman capped the day with seven innings of four-hit ball in a 10-1 victory in game two.

With the doubleheader sweep Chapman (26-10) extended its home winning streak to 18 games.

Game 1: Chapman 6, Dallas 5 (11 innings)
The Panthers were the last team standing in a back-and-forth affair with an exciting finish. Hadzinsky's single in the 11th inning scored freshman IF Mark Saatzer, whose head-first slide narrowly beat the diving tag from Dallas C Varea Costello. That gave Chapman the walk-off winner – its second of the season.

The pitcher's duel between two of the best right-handed arms in the West Region failed to live up to its billing as both Chapman sophomore RHP Brian Rauh and Dallas senior RHP Philip Carkhuff struggled through the first three innings and neither was around for the decision. Carkhuff allowed four runs, walked a pair and was chased after the third. But Rauh persevered through nine innings, scattering 11 hits and allowing five runs (three earned) while striking out 10.

Dallas (25-13) led 2-0 and 3-2 early on, but Chapman rallied to take a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the third. The Crusaders responded with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to re-take a 5-4 advantage until Chapman senior C Adam Kordich belted his team-leading fourth home run of the year – a solo shot to left-center – to tie the game at 5-5. That set up Hadzinsky's heroics in extra innings.

Hadzinsky finished the game 3-for-6 with a double and two RBI. Freshman OF Adam Velez also went 3-for-6 for the Panthers and stole a base.

Crusaders' leadoff hitter Devin Arnold led all players with four hits including a double, stolen base and a run scored.

Game 2: Chapman 10, Dallas 1
This one was all Panthers as Chapman scored early and often in support of Chapman's all-time wins leader Sigman. The senior improved to 7-2 this season and earned his 34th career victory. He allowed just four hits in seven innings and struck out four. Junior LHP Ben Levitt tossed two shutout innings in relief and recorded four strikeouts as well.

Chapman's run production came from throughout the lineup as each starter scored or drove in at least one run. The Panthers jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning thanks to a two-run double from freshman IF Troy Newman and an RBI double from sophomore OF James Parr.

The Panthers then scored the rest of their runs in twos – two each in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings – and collected a total of 13 hits along the way. Saatzer, who leads Chapman with 14 multi-hit games this season, paced Chapman with three hits and two RBI. Hadzinsky, Newman and junior DH Steve Greenberg each had two hits as well.

by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director

Boxscores:
Game 1: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/bsb/2010-11/boxscores/20110430_fdax.xml
Game 2: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/bsb/2010-11/boxscores/20110430_wsid.xml