Two big innings help Panthers complete sweep over Dallas

ORANGE, Calif. – The No. 15 ranked Chapman University baseball team needed just two innings of scoring to complete a series sweep, defeating the University of Dallas 7-2 at Hart Park Sunday afternoon. The Panthers tallied three runs in the fifth and another four in the eighth in the win.

Chapman (27-10) was held scoreless for the first four innings while Dallas plated a pair on RBI singles from sophomore C Trevor Allred and senior 3B Delano Ponce in the third and fourth. The Panthers answered in the fifth as freshman CF Adam Velez doubled to centerfield, scoring Steve Greenberg. Senior 2B Tyler Hadzinsky followed with a game-tying single that hopped over junior CF Brian Shelborne's head, allowing him to advance to third. Hadzinsky, who was 3-for-4 with an RBI on the day, would then score on a single from senior C Adam Kordich that gave the Panthers a 3-2 lead.

Both teams were scoreless until the bottom of the eighth when Velez knocked in two runs on a bases-loaded double. Velez led the Panther offense going 3-for-5 with three RBIs and scored two runs himself in the game. Chapman would extend its lead to 7-2 on another two-RBI double, this time from freshman 1B Mark Saatzer.

The Panther offense was complemented by two strong outings from sophomores RHP Christian Maietta and RHP Kevin Osaki. Maietta got the win on 5.2 innings allowing one earned run on six hits, fanning four in the effort. Osaki recorded his second save of the year pitching shutout baseball for 3.1 innings, allowing just one hit.

This is the first time all season that Dallas (25-13) has been swept in a series, and just the second time they have been defeated in three or more consecutive games in 2011.

Chapman will finish its regular season with a three-game series against Redlands May 6-7.

by Robert Flicker and Stephanie Leavell
Sports Information Interns

Boxscore http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/bsb/2010-11/boxscores/20110501_bsjs.xml