ORANGE, CA – Chapman University used strong pitching and timely hitting to down Rutgers-Newark, 7-2, in Hart Park.
Chapman 7, Rutgers-Newark 2
Scarlet Raider junior shortstop
Patrick Reitemeyer went two for four with an RBI triple off the right field wall, but Panther pitching limited the visitors to just four hits while the Chapman attack notched a dozen hits.
Reitemeyer’s triple in the third plated junior centerfielder
Michael DiCenso, who led off the inning with a walk before a bunt single by junior second baseman
Matt Connors moved him to second. It cut an early Panther lead to 2-1.
The Raiders (1-5) loaded the bases on a walk to junior leftfielder
Michael Cassese, a hit-by-pitch pass issued to senior third baseman
Joe Furnaguera and a bunt single by sophomore catcher
Anthony Palladino to lead off the fourth inning, but Rutgers-Newark could only tie the game on a fielder’s choice grounder off the bat of DiCenso.
Panther starting pitcher Jordan Sigman (4-1) settled in, allowing only one base runner on a seventh-inning walk to Connors while striking out four over the next three innings. He closed out with eight strikeouts against six walks before giving the ball to freshman reliever Brian Rauh in the top of the eighth. Rauh struck out four of the seven batters he faced with only a passed ball on a swinging third strike to senior designated hitter
Anthony Yeswita marring his performance.
Junior right-hander
Ryan Williams (0-2) went six full innings, yielding all seven runs on eight hits while striking out four and walking four. Five of the runs were earned. Freshman reliever
Justin Szablicki shut out the Panthers on four singles while striking out two and walking one over the final two frames.
Chapman senior first baseman Matt Luzar, who went four for four and scored three times, put the Panthers ahead for good with a solo home run in the fourth inning.
Luzar also ignited a 4-run 6th-inning rally with a single. A double, a throwing error on a pick-off attempt, an intentional walk, an RBI bunt and a sacrifice fly capped the run which put the Raiders in a 7-2 hole.
Freshman shortstop Mike Chairez, who went two for three, ripped a 2-run double down the leftfield line to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead in the second inning.
Rutgers-Newark, which fell for the fifth straight time since a season-opening win over Mount St. Mary, takes on the University of Redlands at 2 p.m. (PDT) on Sunday in The Yard.