Vanguard pitching stifles Chapman's bats
ORANGE, Calif. – Eight different pitchers combined on a six-hitter for the Vanguard University baseball team which defeated host Chapman University 4-3 at Hart Park on Tuesday night. The Panthers fell to 7-4 at home this season, a breakeven 4-4 in non-conference outings and 2-1 against NAIA opponents.
All of the scoring took place in the first two and a half innings as Vanguard (24-12) scored a pair of runs in the top of the first and third innings each. Lions' OF Thomas Mobley hit a two-run homer in the first off the left field foul pole to give the visitors a 2-0 lead. Mobley finished 2-for-5 in the game as Vanguard finished with 11 hits.
Chapman (16-10) rallied for three runs in the bottom of the second as sophomore IF Tyler Cook and freshman DH Forrest Wiederman doubled and scored runs. Senior IF Eddie Aguayo and sophomore C David Basen added RBI singles in the inning to give the Panthers a brief 3-2 lead. Cook finished 2-for-4 as the Panthers were held to just six hits in the game.
Vanguard responded in the third with a run-scoring double and RBI groundout off Panthers' senior RHP Justin Hanks (1-2) which proved to be the game-winner. Chapman got the potential tying run in scoring position in each of the sixth through ninth innings, but couldn't collect the big hit.
A staff day, the Lions threw eight different pitchers at Chapman with Cam Harold (1-0) earning the victory as the pitcher of record in the third. Marshall McKinnon earned the save with two scoreless innings for Vanguard.
Chapman returns to Division III play with a three-game series against the University of Dallas on Saturday and Sunday. The Panthers will host all three games beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at 11 a.m.
by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director
Boxscore: http://chapmanathletics.com/sports/bsb/2013-14/boxscores/20140401_n0xw.xml
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