Mogollon pitches complete-game shutout against CMS
ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University baseball team hit its way to its fourth consecutive SCIAC win with an 8-0 victory over Claremont Mudd Scripps (15-17, 6-10 SCIAC) earlier this afternoon. Junior pitcher Matt Mogollon pitched his second complete-game shutout of the 2018 season while senior Gavin Blodgett hit a couple of two-RBI doubles to help lift the Panthers (24-8, 9-7 SCIAC) to victory.
Mogollon faced 35 batters over the span of nine innings, striking out six and allowing just three hits. The right-hander also retired the side in two consecutive innings and did not allow a hit in seven of the nine innings to lead Chapman on the mound.
Blodgett went 3-for-5 with back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the first and bottom of the third to give the Panthers an early 4-0 lead. A quick 1-2-3 inning from both Mogollon and Stags' sophomore pitcher Konnor Kwok brought Mogollon back to the mound. The junior retired the side, bringing junior Tristan Kevitch up to the plate in the bottom of the fifth. Kevitch singled to the third baseman, bringing up senior Jared Love. After a wild pitch advanced Kevitch to second, Love singled through the left side, scoring Kevitch and giving the Panthers a 5-0 lead.
Chapman continued its scoring in the bottom of the seventh when Love stepped up to the plate and hit a two-run homer over the left field fence, extending the Panthers' lead to seven runs. With his 20th career home run, Love became just the fourth Chapman baseball player in history to reach 20 career home runs.
The Panthers finished up the scoring in the bottom of the eighth inning when Kevitch doubled to right field, scoring junior Alex Tsuruda from second and giving Chapman its final 8-0 lead. Mogollon finished strong, going three up, three down in the top of the ninth to secure the shutout for the Panthers.
Kevitch went a perfect 5-for-5 on the afternoon with four runs scored and one RBI. Love went 2-for-4 with the home run and three RBIs and sophomore Aaron Wong hit 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Chapman combined for 18 total hits on the afternoon, compared to the Stags' three hits.
The Panthers head to Claremont-M-S tomorrow to finish the series with a doubleheader but return home on Saturday, April 21 at 11 a.m. to face La Verne in a SCIAC doubleheader.
by Katie Bell
Sports Information Assistant
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