Orange, Calif. (3/11/11) – In what has
become a coast-to-coast battle, the #20 Chapman Panthers edged the
#2 Cougars, 4-3, Friday evening, in the first game of a six game
road trip for Kean University.
The loss is the first of the 2011 season for Kean (8-1) while
the win improves Chapman's record to 11-4, their tenth
straight.
The Cougars broke through first and plated two runs in the top of
the third as senior Ken Gregory launched a two-out
double to bring home Stephen Nappe, who reached on
a leadoff single and Vinny Galya who worked a
walk.
The Panthers then scratched across single runs in the fifth,
sixth and went ahead with a single run in the seventh. With
one out, James Parr ripped a triple for the RBI.
Chapman then scored an insurance run in the eighth after reaching
on a Cougar miscue and scoring later on a wild pitch. Not to
be lost in the bottom of the sixth was a great double-play by
senior Nick Nolan that helped, then, save the
go-ahead run. With one out, Nolan caught the second out of
the inning and proceeded to throw a strike to home to take down the
runner trying to score from third.
The Cougars tried to mount a rally in the ninth and plated one
run aided by a Chapman miscue, but Kean was unable to push across
the tying and go-ahead runs left at second and third.
Kean had opportunities as they left 13 runners on base in the
contest.
Reliever Brandon Bujnowski suffered the
loss. Bujnowski (0-1) allowed one run in a third of an inning
of work. Chapman's Brian Rauh (5-0) earned the
complete game win. He walked five, struck out eight and
allowed eight hits.
Offensively Galya was 2-for-4 with two stolen bases.
The Cougars jump right back into action as they face Denison
University on Saturday at 1 p.m. local time.
