Pacific Lutheran takes series finale in a wild one at Hart

ORANGE, Calif. – Winning its third one-run decision in two days, the Pacific Lutheran University baseball team defeated host Chapman University 10-9 in 11 innings on Sunday in the finale of a four-game weekend series at Hart Park. The Lutes took three of the four games after surrendering a six-run lead, then rallying from a three-run deficit and finally winning in extra innings.

Pacific Lutheran (17-8) C Curtis Wildung's two-out RBI single to center in the top of the 11th inning produced the game winning run, scoring OF Jaron Iwakami who led off the inning with a base hit. That made a winner – for the second consecutive game – of Lutes' RHP Jacob Otness who tossed 3.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen and left Chapman with the tying run on third base in the bottom of the 11th.

The game was filled with drama as PLU jumped out to a 6-0 lead with two runs each in the first, second and fourth innings. Lutes' OF Bo Pearson delivered a two-run single in the first inning and IF Corey Moore added an RBI single in the second and a two-run double in the fourth to build a sizeable cushion. Moore went 4-for-5 with two doubles in the game.

The Panthers didn't have a hit through the first three innings, but came storming back in the fourth. Chapman (11-17) batted through the lineup in the inning, scoring six times to knot the score at 6-6. Sophomore IF Mark Saatzer doubled in a pair of runs and junior IF Tyler Surnbrock followed with a two-run single to highlight the rally.

Chapman then added single runs in each of the next three innings to make the score 9-6 heading into the eighth.

That's when the Lutes finally got to Panthers' junior RHP Christian Maietta who had allowed just two hits in 3.2 relief innings up to that point. PLU used a walk and four singles in the inning to pull even with Chapman once again at 9-9 in the eighth. DH Jacob Hoffman drove in a pair with a single and IF Brock Gates tied the game with a run-scoring base hit.

The Panthers loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth with one out, but failed to score.

Senior OF Charlie Piro had four hits and scored a pair of runs for the Panthers in the loss. Maietta finished the game on the mound, suffering a tough loss despite striking out four and allowing four runs in eight gritty innings of relief.

Chapman fell to 2-9 in one-run affairs this season, including an 0-5 mark in extra innings.

by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director

Boxscore: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/bsb/2011-12/boxscores/20120401_1vi2.xml

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