ORANGE, Calif. – The Concordia University Wisconsin Baseball team couldn't slow down a potent Chapman offense as the Falcons dropped a pair of games to open the 2018 season Saturday. In the opener, which began Friday night before being halted by rain, the Falcons fell 9-2 before falling by a 13-5 score in the originally scheduled Saturday contest.
THE BASICS
- Final Scores: Chapman 9, CUW 2; Chapman 13, CUW 5
- Location: Hart Park – Orange, California
- Records: Chapman 8-4; CUW 0-2
CHAPMAN 9, CUW 2
- The Falcons and Panthers were tied 2-2 before the game was suspended due to rain Friday night. The Panthers would score once more in the bottom of the third when play resumed and they added two runs in the sixth and four in the seventh for the 9-2 final.
- The Falcons offense was led by Dan Ranieri (Loves Park, Ill.) as the third baseman roped a two-RBI double in the third inning. Ranieri and Nathan Thyssen (Appleton, Wis.) each finished with two hits, both players recording a double.
- Alex Prickett (Cedarburg, Wis.) was the pitcher of record as he pitched Friday night and went 2.2 innings before Mother Nature stepped in. Prickett gave up two three runs, two earned and struck out three. The Falcons used three pitchers to finish the game, including Ryan McEnroe (Lac du Flambeau, Wis.) who tossed 1.2 scoreless innings.
- Four different Panthers collected two hits in the first game, including Andrew Mendonca who finished 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the seventh. Matt Mogollon got the win for the Panthers, striking out 10 batters in six innings of work. Mason Collins worked the final three innings for the save.
CHAPMAN 13, CUW 5
- CUW took a 1-0 lead in Saturday's originally scheduled game but the Panthers erupted for six runs in the bottom half. Chapman would score 10 runs in its first five at-bats, building a 10-3 lead after five innings of play.
- Four of the Falcons six hits in the contest were doubles as Michael Szeszol (Lake Bluff, Ill.), Kyle Hilliard (Oak Forest, Ill.), Tyler Haffey (Mount Prospect, Ill.), and Eric Paz (Kenosha, Wis.) all recorded doubles.
- Andrew Gibbons (Markesan, Wis.) took the loss for CUW as he was touched up for eight runs in the first. Michael Enriquez (Chicago, Ill.), one of three Falcons relievers, threw two scoreless innings.
- Chapman finished the game with 12 hits and the Falcons helped the Panthers out as well by committing four errors. Tristan Kevitch collected three hits for the Panthers while Conner Larkin drove in four runs. Joey Harmon got the win for Chapman, pitching five innings and allowing three runs, two earned.
UP NEXT
- CUW was originally scheduled to play Ursinus Sunday morning but due to travel issues for the Bears, the Falcons will battle Chapman once again. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. Pacific.
