CMS Baseball's Comeback Comes Up Short in Series Opener at Chapman

ORANGE, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps baseball team cut an early six-run deficit down to 10-9, but Chapman was able to hold on and capture an 11-9 win in the first game of a three-game series at Hart Park on Friday.

The loss drops CMS to 14-4 overall and 3-4 in conference play, while Chapman improves to 11-7 and 3-1 in the league with the win. 

Adam Dapkewicz hit a three-run homer in the top of the seventh to get CMS back within 10-9. Chapman got a run back in the bottom half, and Dapkiewicz had a two-out walk in the ninth to try to mount a final rally. Jack Potter followed with an infield single, and Bryce Didrickson reached on a passed ball to load the bases, but a grounder to third base resulted in a forceout to end it. 

CMS took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on RBI doubles from Julian Sanders and Dillon Martin, but Chapman answered with seven runs in the bottom half. An Andrew Mazzone RBI double made the score 7-4 in the top of the second, but the Panthers were able to go ahead 10-4 after three innings. 

The Stags got two back when Sanders singled to right and came around all the way to score when the ball got past the right fielder for an error, with Mazzone racing around in front of him. Sanders was hit by a pitch to lead off the seventh, and Martin followed with a single to set the table for the Dapkiewicz three-run shot. 

Martin ended up 3-for-5 for the Stags, while Dapkiewicz was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Sanders (2-for-4, three runs) and Tyler Shaw (2-for-5, two runs) each had multi-hit games as well. Henry Connell threw 4.2 innings of relief, allowing two runs, to help keep CMS in striking distance, while Hamilton Finefrock closed out with 1.1 innings of shutout relief. 

The two teams are scheduled to complete their three-game series tomorrow with a doubleheader at Pomona-Pitzer, although weekend rain in the forecast could result in the games being postponed, or moved to the turf field at Hart Park.