Box Score Playing in Orange, CA in the first game of a home-and-home two day series, Cal State San Marcos baseball defeated Chapman University 9-6.
CSUSM improves to 9-5-1 on the year. Chapman, one of the top programs in NCAA Division III, falls to 10-3.
It was a tale of two games on Friday, with pitching dominating the early innings before both lineups broke through later on. Cougar starter Travis McCracken was very strong, throwing five innings and allowing just one run. He struck out three and walked three en route to picking up the win.
With McCracken holding the Panthers' offense in check, the Cougar hitters were able to carve out a small early lead. Johnny Omahen drove in the game's first run, singling home Ricardo Moran in the top of the first.
After Chapman tied it 1-1 in the second, Josh Miller crushed his team-leading 5th home run of the season, a two-run shot to make it 3-1.
That score would hold until sixth, when the Cougars started to establish some breathing room. Omahen manufactured a run himself that inning, drawing a walk, stealing second, and scoring on a passed ball.
That would continue in the seventh. Kyle Secciani, making his return from an injury that has sidelined him for most of the season, led off the inning with a triple. Moran drew a walk, and a throwing error allowed Secciani to score to make it 5-1. Omar Manzanarez then singled, setting the table for Kevin Silvett, who made his only hit of the day count, belting a three-run homer to extend the lead to 8-1.
But Chapman wasn't going down without a fight. The Panthers closed the lead to 8-3 in the bottom of the inning, and after Moran singled in Ryle Parks in the 8th to make it 9-3, Chapman closed the gap to a somewhat-tenuous 9-6.
The Cougars would prevail in the end, however, as closer Spencer Pardon worked his way out of the 8th, and pitched around a walk and hit-by-pitch in the 9th to pick up his third save of the season.
The game between these two teams tomorrow will start at noon at Escondido High School.
