Aaron Wong hits the ball.
Aaron Wong (photo by Larry Newman)

Baseball routs visiting Ithaca 11-1

ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University baseball team rolled past the visiting Ithaca Bombers 11-1 early Tuesday evening. Nine different Panthers tallied at least one hit and junior Aaron Wong led the push with four RBIs.

Senior pitcher Jonathan Hernandez threw a couple of spotless innings before Chapman opened up the scoring in the bottom of the second. With freshman Miguel Cebedo on first, senior Jarod Penniman doubled to deep right field, allowing the speedy Cebedo to round the bases and score the first run of the game. Junior Joe Jimenez was hit by a pitch, then stole second to put runners on second and third with Wong up to bat with one out. Wong reached on an error by the third baseman but tallied the RBI to put the Panthers up 2-0.

Hernandez went another two scoreless innings before senior Mason Collins entered to relieve the starter. The Bombers scored their lone run of the game when sophomore Garrett Callaghan singled up the middle and scored the runner on second.

Chapman blew the game wide open in the bottom of the fifth, scoring five runs to take a 7-1 lead. With bases loaded and one out, Jimenez singled to right field, knocking in sophomore Henry Zeisler. Wong then stepped up to the plate and hit a three-RBI double to deep left field to put Chapman up by six runs with four innings left to play.

Sophomore Riley Glenn entered the game on the mound for the Panthers in the eighth and struck out two batters to bring Chapman up to the box in the bottom half of the inning.

With runners on second and third and one out, senior Alex Tsuruda singled to center field, scoring both runners and adding to the Panthers' lead. Senior Tristan Kevitch hit a single to left field to advance Tsuruda to second with Cebedo up to bat. The rookie doubled to right field, knocking in the final two runs in Chapman's 11-1 victory.

Cebedo hit 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Hernandez tallied three strikeouts in four innings pitched. Collins struck out five in three innings pitched and junior Austin Merrill was dealing in the ninth, striking out the side to end the game.

The Panthers return to Hart Park on Friday, March 15 to host Cal Lutheran at 3 p.m. in the first game of a SCIAC series.

by Katie Bell
Sports Information Assistant

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