ORANGE, Calif.—Chapman tallied six runs in the eighth inning to blow open their 6-3 lead and starting pitcher Max Banks recorded 11 strikeouts to beat visiting Whitworth 12-3 in a non-conference baseball game on Sunday afternoon.
The Panthers improve to 2-1 on the season, and the Pirates fall to 1-10, their ninth straight loss.
Chapman struck first in the bottom of the second when Kai Osaka and Mike Gorman were walked back-to-back, and an AJ Anzai single scored Osaka.
The Panthers added to their total in the third frame when Drew Littwin reached on a fielder's choice and Cooper Foard doubled and advanced to third on the throw, scoring Littwin. Davis Mieliwocki followed that up with a home run to extend the lead 4-0.
Neither team scored again until the fifth inning, when Mieliwocki hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Littwin.
Whitworth got on the board in the sixth inning, when both Dawson Warner and Jaxsen Sweum were walked. Aiden Morrison hit a single to drive in Warner. Colt Corrigan was hit by a pitch, and Elijah Tanner singled to score Sweum.
Chapman answered in the bottom of the sixth when Gorman walked, stole second, and then advanced on an error by the third baseman. Anzai was also walked and starting pitcher Josh Grimes was pulled from the game and replaced by Landon Shigeta. Josh Phillips grounded into a double play in the next at bat, but Gorman scored to make the lead 6-2.
The Pirates chipped away at the lead again in the seventh inning. Riley Cissne reached on an error and Jeremiah Kennell walked to put two runners on. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, setting up a Warner single that scored Cissne. Kennell attempted to score on the play as well but was thrown out at home plate.
The Panthers scoring run in the eighth inning was started by a Mieliwocki single and Osaka was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. Gorman hit a sac bunt to advance the runners, setting up an Anzai single to score Mieliwocki and Osaka. A Cole Minato single scored Anzai. Mason Greene took over pitching from Landon Shigeta. Nick Condo walked and Littman was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The runners advanced and Minato and Kondo scored on back-to-back wild pitches. Foard was walked the next at bat, and Greene's day was done. He was replaced by Aidan Smith, who gave up a Mieliwocki double to score Littman for the final run of the day, 12-3.
Starter Josh Grimes (0-2) got the pitching loss for Whitworth, giving up four hits and six runs, all earned, in five innings of work. Grimes walked six batters and struck out two.
Max Banks (1-0) picked up his first pitching win of the season, giving up only one hit and zero runs in five innings. Banks tallied eleven strikeouts in the victory.
The Pirates return home to Merkel Field next weekend to start Northwest Conference play against Whitman at 11am and 2pm on Saturday, Feb. 26 and Sunday, Feb 27 at noon.
