ORANGE, Calif. – The Diamond Gents were able to tie the game at two in the top of the seventh, but the Panthers were able to scratch a run across in the bottom of the ninth as Centenary (8-10-1) fell to #12 Chapman (10-3) 3-2 in the final game on the California trip Sunday afternoon, March 10.
Down 2-1 in the seventh, sophomore Payton Cormane was hit by a pitch and stole second. After a groundout advanced Cormane to third, a single by classmate Chris Haggard tied the game at two.
However, the Gents were retired in order in both the eighth and ninth.
Meanwhile, the Panthers had chances in both the seventh and eighth but could not score. With two runners in scoring position and two outs in the seventh, sophomore Connor Cudd induced a popout. In the eighth with a runner at second and one out, a flyout and strikeout ended the Chapman threat.
In the ninth for the Panthers, Joe Jimenez led off the inning with a hit by pitch. After a flyout, Jimenez stole second and scored on Brad Shimabuku's single to end the game.
Haggard led Centenary from the plate with three hits in as many at-bats and an RBI. Cudd (2-1) took the loss, allowing two hits and one run in 3.2 innings in relief.
Chapman scored single tallies in each of the third and fourth innings to take a 2-1 lead. In the third, Shimabuku hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game while Miguel Cebedo added an RBI groundout in the fourth to give the Panthers the lead.
Nick Garcia (3-0) retired the side in order in the eighth and ninth – including four strikeouts – for the win for Chapman.
Centenary returns to action Friday night, March 15, when it begins Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play at Austin College. First pitch in Sherman, Texas, is set for 7 p.m.