Big third inning helps Chapman to season-opening win over Whittier

ORANGE, Calif. – The No. 2 Chapman University baseball team pounded out 10 runs on 17 hits highlighted by a five-run third inning, as they went on to defeat Whittier College 10-4 in the season-opener on Friday night at Hart Park.

A two-out single in the third inning by sophomore IF Mark Saatzer with a pair of runners on got Chapman (1-0) on the board as sophomore OF Adam Velez came around to score. After junior OF James Parr reached on an error by Whittier's first baseman, senior OF Charlie Piro came through with an RBI double. Junior IF Tyler Surnbrock then pushed Chapman's lead to 4-0 with a double to left center. Saatzer finished 3-for-4 on the night with three RBI.

The Panthers then tacked on a run in the fourth and the fifth to take a 7-0 lead and chase Whittier starting pitcher Ryan Schwenn. The Poets' starter gave up 10 hits and seven runs while striking out five. With a seven-run lead after five innings, Chapman was able to limit All-American RHP Brian Rauh to five innings. The junior gave up two hits and struck out six, but labored a bit in the early innings giving up four walks.

In the sixth with Rauh out of the game, Whittier got on the board with a pair of runs off of senior LHP Ben Levitt to narrow Chapman's lead to 7-2. Whittier first scored after a passed ball and then got its second run on a hit by left fielder Alex Mitchell. Levitt pitched four innings for the Panthers to get the save.

After Whittier (0-1) put two on the board in the sixth, Chapman answered back with three runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning to take a 10-2 lead as Saatzer, Parr and Piro all came through with RBI singles. Piro also had three hits for Chapman while Velez, Parr and senior OF Steve Greenberg each had two hits.

Chapman now heads to Whittier for a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 11 a.m.

by Chris Watts
Sports Information Assistant

Boxscore: http://chapmanathletics.com/sports/wbkb/2011-12/boxscores/20120203_uqk6.xml