Orange, Calif. (3/10/14) – Chapman University used an eighth inning surge to push past the Kean University baseball team by the final of 6-2 on Monday evening.

In what has become a coast to coast rivalry, the game started in a classic battle, with both teams having limited chances to score thanks to good starting pitching. 

Kean (9-2) scratched across the first run in their first at-bat as senior Shane Alvarez lined the first pitch of the game up the middle.  Senior Tyler Smarslok followed with a sacrifice bunt that moved Alvarez all the way to third.  Sophomore Ryan Kelley made it 1-0 with an RBI groundout .

The Panthers (10-7) broke through with two runs in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single and taking advantage of a Cougar miscue.  Kean battled back to knot the score at two-all in the seventh as senior Joe O'Connor reached on a two-out error by the Panthers.  He would go on to steal second and came around to score on an RBI single from sophomore Sal Taormina.

Chapman scored what would be the winning run in the bottom of the seventh as David Basen tallied a two-out, RBI triple.  The Panthers put the game away with three runs in the eighth on five hits.

Junior Charles Thielmann (2-1) suffered the loss for Kean.  Thielmann worked the complete game, and had carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning.  In total, he allowed six runs, five earned, and 11 hits.  He fanned six and walked no one.  Taber Watson (1-1) picked up the win for Chapman.  He also tossed a complete game, allowing four hits and one earned run.

Chapman has now won 12 of 18 meetings against Kean dating back to 2004.

The Cougars enjoy an off day on Tuesday and will face the University of Redlands on Wednesday afternoon.