Baseball defeats Poets in 2022 season opener
ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University baseball team defeated the Whittier Poets 10-1 in the 2022 season and home opener. Junior Wyatt Thompson secured the win for the Panthers and struck out six batters in five innings pitched allowing only three hits and no runs.
The Panthers secured the momentum early when Nick Kondo singled in the bottom of the first. Drew Littwin then advanced on hit by pitch followed by a Davis Mieliwocki double that scored both runners setting the Panthers up 2-0 early.
Two back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout brought the Panthers to the plate again for a Josh Phillips double and a Cole Minato single followed by a Kondo homer that increased the Chapman lead to 5-0 heading into the third. The bottom of the third saw another ball exit the field with a Kai Osaka homer.
The Panthers struck again in the bottom of the fifth with a Connor Montgomery single followed by a stolen base and advancement to third on an error from the Poets shortstop. Philips then singled to center field sending in Montgomery for another run.
Whittier put themselves on the board in the seventh with a Dane Goodman RBI single scoring James Stirton. But was unable to produce anything further in the game.
The Panthers tacked on another run when Osaka scored on a wild pitch from Schicker in the bottom of the seventh and put the icing on the cake with two more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Littwin scored on a wild pitch followed by Cooper Foard reaching home thanks to a Mieliwocki groundout to second.
In five at-bats, Kondo tallied two runs and three RBI on the night alongside Littwin who also crossed the plate twice. Mieliwocki toatled three RBI and seven putouts. Osaka contributed two runs in four at-bats.
Stirton was the single Poet to cross the plate during the nine innings. Thompson faces 20 batters stricking out six in 71 pitches. J.P. Caire worked 1.1 innings out of the bullpen and served up three strikeouts in six batters faced. AJ Anzai closed it out in the ninth allowing only one hit. Zach Kennedy saw 4.2 innings of work for the Poets allowing the Panthers to tally 10 hits and seven earned runs, striking out four.
Chapman hits the road for the first time this season tomorrow to face the Leopards at La Verne at 1:00p.m. Chapman returns to Hart Park this Sun., Feb. 20 to face Whitworth in an 11:00 a.m. matchup.