Baseball gets first victory with game two shutout of Pacific

ORANGE, Calif. – Four pitchers combined for the game two shutout as the Chapman University baseball team split a doubleheader to open a three-game series with Pacific. In a rematch of last year's NCAA Regional opener, the Boxers took game on 13-4 before the Panther pitchers dominated in a 3-0 shutout in game two.

Game 1 – L, 13-4

The victory became lopsided for Pacific in the late innings although the Boxers never trailed in the game. Both teams had plenty of opportunities to put up more runs on the board but Pacific stranded 12 runners on base and Chapman left 11 aboard.

The Boxers bropke through first on a bases loaded double in the second from Drew Thomas. Chapman struck back in the third with an AJ Anzai RBI groundout and a Kai Osaka run-scoring single. It was the first of four hits on the day for Osaka.

Pacific immediately regained the lead in the fourth. The game stayed 3-2 until the eighth when Thomas hit a three-run home run to spark the Pacific offense. The Boxers went on to score 10 runs in the last two innings, including another RBI-single from Thomas to complete a seven-RBI game.

Brad Shimabuku gained a bit of momentum back for Chapman with a two-RBI single in the ninth.

Game 2 – W, 3-0

The pitchers stole the spotlight with 17 strikeouts in a shutout of the Boxers in game two. Wyatt Thompson fanned seven over 3.1 scoreless innings. Freshman Graham Stogner followed with 2.2 hitless and scoreless innings that included four strikeouts.

Anzai, who started the game as the designated hitter, was brought on to pitch and struck out four over two scoreless innings. Freshman Henry Chabot gave up a hit but struck out a pair in the ninth to earn his first career save.

While still the pitcher of record, Anzai sparked a 1-out rally with a hard hit grounder down the line that rolled all the way into the right field corner for a triple. Davis Mieliwocki followed with a hard-hit double against a drawn in infield to score Anzai.

Trent Turquand opened the scoring in the fourth with a two-run blast to left field that scored Osaka for Chapman's initial 2-0 lead.

The Panther and Boxers meet up again tomorrow at 11 a.m. at Hart Park in the third and final game of the non-conference series.

 By Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director

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