Battery mates help Chapman take series opener with PLU

ORANGE, Calif. – Shades of the defending West Region champion Chapman University baseball team were on display as Panthers kicked off a four-game weekend series against Pacific Lutheran University (Wash.) with a vintage 6-0 victory at Hart Park on Friday night. Panthers' junior RHP Brian Rauh tossed seven shutout innings and battery mate sophomore C Taber Watson drove in four runs to aid the Chapman win.

The victory snaps the Panthers' three-game home losing streak and evens their record to 4-4 in their last eight games.

A 14-hit attack for the Chapman offense – its most since collecting 17 hits in the season opener versus Whittier – was more than enough support for Rauh. The Panthers' ace allowed five hits and struck out six over seven innings of work to earn his fourth win of the season (4-1). Sophomore RHP Justin Hanks tossed the final two innings in relief to preserve the shutout.

Watson drove in each of the Panthers' first four runs from the No. 9 spot in the lineup. After sophomore OF Connor Battaglia led off the second inning with a double, Watson provided an RBI groundout two batters later for the first run of the game. Later in the fourth, with runners on first and second, Watson delivered a two-run double down the left field line to put Chapman up 3-0. Battaglia continued his hot hitting of late, going 2-for-3 with a pair of runs.

In the sixth, after a leadoff walk by junior IF Tyler Surnbrock and an infield single by pinch hitter Adam Velez, Watson again came through with a run-scoring single. Watson was 2-for-4 in the game. The Panthers added some insurance in the seventh on RBI singles from sophomore IF Mark Saatzer and senior DH Steve Greenberg to give Chapman a 6-0 cushion. Saatzer was 4-for-4 on the day with a run scored.

Much of Chapman's offense came against Pacific Lutheran ace RHP Collin Nilson who hadn't allowed an earned run in 27.1 innings this season. Chapman tagged the righty for five runs (four earned) and 11 hits in handing him his first loss of the year (4-1).

Pacific Lutheran (14-8) was not without its offensive chances, stranding 13 runners on base including leaving the bases loaded in the second, seventh and eighth innings. Jaron Iwakami went 2-for-3 with a triple.

Chapman and PLU resume the weekend series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. at Hart Park.

by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director

Boxscore: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/bsb/2011-12/boxscores/20120330_9fk7.xml

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