ORANGE, Calif. - Brian Rauh pitched seven shutout innings and the Chapman offense collected 14 hits as the Panthers handled Pacific Lutheran, 6-0, in a non-conference baseball game played Friday night at Hart Park.

Rauh, a two-time first team All-America pitcher and the Chapman baseball career strikeout leader, allowed just five hits while walking three and striking out six in his seven innings of work. Justin Hanks threw the final two innings, allowing one hit and three walks but also striking out four.

The Panthers (11-14) had success against PLU freshman Collin Nilson, who until tonight had not allowed an earned run in 27 1/3 innings this season. They scored five runs, four of them earned, on 11 hits against Nilson, who lasted six innings. Kipp Godfrey threw the final two innings, allowing a run on three hits.

Mark Saatzer was 4-for-4 and Taber Watson was 2-for-4 with four runs batted in for the Panthers. Watson drove in the game's first run, and the first earned run allowed by Nilson this season, with a ground out in the second inning. He added a two-run double in the fourth and a run-scoring single in the sixth.

PLU's best scoring chance came in the eighth when Hanks walked the bases loaded, but he also struck out the side the end the threat.

Dominick Courcy and Jaron Iwakami both had a pair of PLU's six total hits, with Iwakami's two-out triple in the sixth being the team's only extra base hit.

The two teams resume their four-game series with a doubleheader tomorrow starting at 1 p.m., and they play the final contest at noon on Sunday.

- PLU -