ORANGE, Calif. - Combining eight walks and four hit batsmen by Chapman University pitchers and eight errors and three passed balls by the Panther defense with 10 hits and some clutch pitching of their own, the George Fox University Bruins pounded the No. 2-ranked Panthers 13-5 in a non-conference baseball game Sunday afternoon here at Hart Park.
With the win, their fourth in the last five games, the Bruins took the three-game series with last year's NCAA Division III World Series runner-ups two games to one and improved to 4-8 on the season. Chapman slipped to 5-5 on the year.
Starting pitchers Tom Zarosinski (1-0) for the Bruins and Kevin Osaki (0-1) for the Panthers battled through three scoreless innings before the visitors broke through in the 4th. The Bruins loaded the bases as Josh Rapacz reached on an error, Derek Dixon was hit by a pitch, and Timothy Williams walked. Justin Hanks replaced Osaki and got Zac Israel on a liner to second, but a wild throw to second allowed all the runners to move up as Rapacz scored. Dixon then scored on an error at short on Jared Chase's grounder.
The Bruins added another run in the 5th on singles by Danny Clifford and Rapacz, a fielder's choice force out, and Williams' sacrifice fly to right. In the 6th, David Greenstein doubled in Taylor Hunter, who had reached second on a force out and a wild relay throw from second, to make it 4-0 George Fox.
Zarosinski, who had cruised through five innings, allowing only two hits while striking out five, gave up hits to Troy Newman and James Parr to start the 6th, hit Charlie Piro, and surrendered an RBI single to Steve Greenberg before being replaced by Taylor Hill. An error on Tyler Surnbrock's grounder and a sacrifice fly by Charlie James cut the Bruin lead to 4-3 before Hill got the final out on a tapper in front of the plate.
An eight-run outburst in the 7th enabled the Bruins to pull away. Todd Nagamine drew a bases-loaded walk and Hunter was hit by a pitch with the sacks full for the first two runs, and a third came in on a passed ball. Clifford singled in two runs, Rapacz had an RBI double, Dixon singled in a run, and Williams capped the rally with an RBI double. Williams singled in Rapacz with a final run in the 9th.
Chapman picked up single runs in the 7th and 9th innings. In between, Bruin reliever Clay Gartner struck out the side in the 8th.
Six Panther pitchers allowed 10 hits, with Rapacz getting three and Clifford, Dixon, and Williams two apiece. Williams drove in three runs and Rapacz scored three. For Chapman, Parr had three hits, while Newman and Mark Saatzer had two each.
NEXT: George Fox opens Northwest Conference play next weekend with a three-game set at Lewis & Clark College, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. ... Chapman heads to Trinity University (Texas) for a three-game series starting Friday at 5:00 p.m.