Winning streak reaches six as baseball moves into second place

ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University baseball team completed its second straight three-game sweep, taking both games of a SCIAC doubleheader with Caltech, 15-1 and 15-3 on Saturday at Hart Park. The Panthers extended their season-best winning streak to six games heading into a showdown with first-place Whittier College next weekend.

The wins, combined with another Cal Lutheran loss on Saturday assured the Panthers would at least be tied for second place in the conference standings at week's end.

Game 1: Chapman 15, Caltech 1

For the third straight game, the Panthers put up big numbers in the first inning, scoring seven times while sending 12 men to the plate in the frame. Junior IF Tim Alhanati and senior IF Mark Saatzer each had a pair of hits in the inning and sophomore DH Brandon Demerest drove in two with a single. Saazter later singled as part of a five-run fourth inning that included an RBI triple by senior OF Andrew Carbajal to put Chapman up 12-1 and cruise to the 'run-rule' victory.

Saatzer finished 3-for-4 and Carbajal was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI as 12 different Panthers collected hits in the game. Chapman finished with 18 base hits in all.

Four Chapman pitchers combined on a four-hitter, including senior RHP Travis McGee who earned the win to improve to 4-1 this season.

Boxscore: http://chapmanathletics.com/sports/bsb/2013-14/boxscores/20140412_fgdn.xml

Game 2: Chapman 15, Caltech 3

The big inning for Chapman (22-10 overall, 15-6 SCIAC) came in the second this time as the Panthers plated eight runs to build an early 10-0 lead. Sophomore C David Basen drove in a pair with a single up the middle in the inning. Sophomore IF Tyler Cook knocked in a run with hits in each of his three at-bats including a two-run homer to left in the first inning, his third of the year. Senior OF Connor Battaglia was 2-for-3 with an RBI as the Chapman offense collected another 18 hits.

Senior RHP Taber Watson earned the victory with three shutout innings to improve to 4-2 this season.

Boxscore: http://chapmanathletics.com/sports/bsb/2013-14/boxscores/20140412_2784.xml

Depending on the results of the third Whittier-Cal Lutheran game this weekend, Chapman could wind up alone in second place, just one game back heading into its series with first-place Whittier on Friday. The Panthers will go into the series playing their best baseball of the year, winners of six straight, 10 of 12 and 14 of 17. Chapman will return home on Saturday, April 19 to host the Poets in a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.

by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director

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