Baseball rides early runs to series opening win

ORANGE, Calif. – Four early runs held up as the No. 12 Chapman University baseball team defeated No. 17 Cal Lutheran 4-3 to open the SCIAC series on Friday. The Panthers (3-0, 1-0 SCIAC) combined for 4.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen to get the win.

Chapman scored two in the second and two more in the third to build a 4-0 leads over CLU starter Alex Rivas. In the second, Chapman hit three consecutive singles to get on the board. Sophomore Kai Osaka knock an RBI-single into left to score junior Cooper Foard. After an error loaded the bases, junior Brad Shimabuku skied a sacrifice fly to deep center for the 2-0 lead.

Sophomore starter Wyatt Thompson worked around a couple of singles and a walk to leave the bases loaded in the top of the third and the Panthers rewarded him with two more runs on the board in the bottom half of the inning. Freshman Connor Montgomery singled in the first run and Foard scored just a few pitches later on a double steal with Montgomery.

Thompson worked out of another bases loaded jam in the fourth without allowing a run but couldn't work his way out of a jam in the fifth. With two on and one out, a grounder to short scored the first run as Daniel Parr beat out the double play attempt. Another run scored on an infield single and a third came on Joseph Scalzo's double to right.

Ziv relieved Thompson and got an inning-ending ground ball to leave two more runners on base for Cal Lutheran. Ziv went on to retire the first 10 batters he faced to get Chapman into the ninth with a 4-3 lead. He struck out two along the way but let go of back-to-back singles to open the ninth. Senior Cody Turner took over and immediately recorded the first out at second with a ground ball.

With runners on the corners and one, Turner fielded a chopper back to the mound. The runner at third had broken for home but Turner chased him down as the potential tying run danced down the line for the second out. A strike out ended the game for Turner's first save of the year.

Senior Henry Zeisler went 2-for-4 while Foard and Montgomery also recorded two hits. The three Panther pitchers combined for nine strikeouts. While the Kingsmen put 11 hits on the board, only two went for extras bases. Chapman's only extra base hit came when Zeisler hustled into second after dropping a line drive into the left center gap.

Chapman and Cal Lutheran finish off the series tomorrow in Thousand Oaks, Calif. with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.

By Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director

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