ORANGE, Calif. (March 19, 2010) – Within a run of the No. 7 Chapman University Panthers baseball team, a three-run seventh inning, put a stop to the Occidental College threat on the diamond at Hart Park Friday evening. Chapman went on to win the opening game of a three-game set, 6-4.

For the first time this season Tyler Eyrich got the start, going 6.2 innings, allowing just two earned runs, scattering seven hits. Chapman capitalized on an error, scoring one run before a two-run homerun off the bat of Tyler Hadzinsky. CU also pushed an unearned run across the plate in the third.

Down 6-2 in the eighth inning, Oxy rallied to score a pair. Glenn Gray tripled for the second of two hits in the game and scored a batter later when Pedro Aldape lifted a sacrifice fly to centerfield. Eyrich, who doubled as the DH after handing the ball over to Brooks Belter with two outs in the sixth, singled and moved to third on a Chapman error. Stephen Hilliard then drove in Eyrich with an infield single, for the final run of the game. The inning ended with Chapman senior catcher Joe Lehman throwing out Hilliard at second. Lehman caught three Oxy would-be base stealers in the game.

The threat was not over after eight, however. Occidental brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth inning after an error by Chapman freshman shortstop Mike Chairez, but could not capitalize as sophomore pitcher Ben Levitt struck out the next batter. Freshman reliever Brian Rauh then came in and struck out the final batter to end the rally and earn his second save of the season. Levitt and Rauh pitched the final 1 1/3 inning to secure the victory for starter Jordan Sigman who earned his fifth win of the season.

Belter struck out a pair, allowing just one hit in 1.1 innings of work.

Chapman led from start to finish as they jumped out to a 1-0 first inning lead after Lehman hit an RBI triple to left field with two outs, scoring freshman James Parr.  

The Tigers then tied the game in the third inning after a left field single by Aldape, scoring junior catcher Brenton Wunner.  Chapman answered later in the inning when Parr connected for an RBI double, bringing the score to 2-1.

Chapman extended its lead to 3-1 in the fourth inning with a lead-off home run by senior Matt Luzar, his team-leading seventh homer and 26th RBI of the season.  

Occidental (7-13) will host Chapman (15-4) tomorrow on Anderson Field for a single game at 1:00 p.m. The teams will then return to Hart Park on Sunday to complete the series.

Article by: Tracy Maple, Sports Information Director