THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – A late surge broke open a close game as the Chapman University baseball team bowed out of the SCIAC Tournament with a 17-8 loss to Redlands. Senior Tyler Cook went 3-for-4 with two more RBIs after a four-RBI game this morning.

Cook was on fire throughout the tournament at the plate. In the Panthers three games, he was 9-for-13 with two doubles, two homers and eight RBIs. Junior Jared Love had four RBIs in the game as well.

The game went back and forth over the first five innings with both teams coming out swinging. The Panthers put up four runs in the top of the first but Redlands matched the effort with four runs of its own in the bottom half.

The Bulldogs plated two more in the second and another in the third for a 7-4 lead. Love cut the lead down with a two-RBI double in the fourth and junior Brad Steiner tossed a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half to seemingly turn the momentum. Cook drove in two more with a single in the fifth to give the Panther an 8-7 lead but the Bulldogs' bats got going again.

A sacrifice fly tied the game for Redlands in the bottom half and Christian Conci's leadoff homer in the sixth gave Redlands the lead back for good. The Bulldogs picked up another run in the sixth and exploded for five in the seventh, highlighted by a grand slam from Brendan Gardiner. Gardiner had six RBIs to lead the Bulldogs.

Chapman was held to just two hits over the final four innings and the Bulldogs added two more in the eighth to seal the victory.

Chapman made the SCIAC Tournament for the second year in a row and the third time in the last five years. The Panthers finished the season 26-14 and were ranked sixth in the latest NCAA regional rankings.

Clutch hitting drives Panthers further into SCIAC Tournament

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – In a game filled with clutch hits, sophomore Jarod Penniman had the final one as he lifted the Chapman University baseball team to an 8-7 win over La Verne to stay in the SCIAC Tournament. The Panthers advance to play in another must-win game later today against the loser of the Cal Lutheran-Redlands game.

With the score tied 7-7 in the top of the ninth with two outs, Penniman drove a single into center to score sophomore Christian Cosby from second. Penniman's hit was the ninth hit of the game that either tied the score or brought in the go-ahead run.

Senior Tyler Cook had a four-hit game and three of his four hits gave the Panthers a one-run lead. First, it was a two-run homer in the third that gave Chapman a 2-1 advantage. After the Panthers lost the lead in the fourth, freshman Joe Jimenez tied the game with a double and Cook singled him home for a 5-4 lead. With score tied 5-5 in the eighth, Cook doubled in Jimenez for a 6-5 advantage.

Cook was 4-for-5 in a game that he did everything in his power to make it not the final one of his career. He drove in four RBIs and scored twice. He scored after his go-ahead double in the eighth to make it 7-5.

Despite the Panthers finding clutch hit after clutch hit, La Verne kept coming. They sprinkled in a pair of hits around three walks, a hit by pitch and a wild pitch to put three in the fourth for a 4-3 lead. In the sixth, they cashed in a game-tying run after an error put a runner in scoring position.

The Leopards made two quick outs in the eighth but a two-out walk sparked a rally as Jakob Thomas doubled in his third RBI of the game and scored on Dylan Alhanati's game-tying single.

The win on the mound went to sophomore Jonathan Hernandez, who went two and a third in relief. He allowed a pair of runs on four hits. Freshman Austin Merrill slammed the door in the ninth to pick up the save.

Chapman will face either Redlands or Cal Lutheran approximately 30 minutes after their game, which is currently underway.

by Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director

Become a fan of Chapman Athletics on Facebook
Follow Chapman Athletics on Twitter @ChapmanSports
Post your #PantherPic to Instagram @ChapmanSports
#Chaptown