Box Score

Grand Chute, Wis. - John Semel recorded three hits at the plate before pitching three scoreless innings for the save as Chapman University (Calif.) notched a 7-5 win over Kean University (N.J.) on Sunday (May 24) in an elimination game of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship at Time Warner Cable Field.

The Panthers (32-16), appearing in their fifth consecutive NCAA Division III World Series, survive to play another game on Monday (May 25). Kean, which won the 2007 national championship, saw its season come to an end with a 39-11 record.

Ryan Prechtl launched a two-run home run during the sixth inning to break a 4-4 tie. Chapman equaled the score earlier in the frame on a run-scoring single by Joe Lehman.

Semel entered the contest with a 6-5 advantage in the seventh inning, and he struck out five of the game’s final eight outs. It was his ninth save of the season.

“It was key to bring John in with the lead and have him do what he does,” head coach Tom Tereschuk said. “He just did a fantastic job.”

Lehman got the Panthers on the board during the second inning with a run-scoring double to the gap in left-center field. He tacked on his third RBI to make it a 7-5 score in the eighth frame.

Chapman went ahead, 2-0, on a throwing error in the fourth inning. A single from Patrick Ohail then made it a 3-0 lead during the top of the fifth.

Kean rallied with four runs in the bottom of the fifth, featuring two-run singles by D.J. Breckenridge and Michael Moceri. The Cougars appeared to add another run on a shallow fly ball, but the runner tagged up and was called out for leaving third base early.

“In our mind, we should have got the win today,” Moceri said.

The Panthers also turned a traditional double play in the fourth inning and a double play helped by batter’s interference during the second. Kean lost scoring chances in the first and third frames when it had a pair of runners caught stealing.

Kean opened the bottom of the ninth with back-to-back singles, but Semel retired the next three batters to preserve the victory.

“It was a great game for the World Series – tight all the way and well-played,” Tereschuk said.

Lehman and Tyler Hadzinsky each had three of Chapman’s 11 base hits. The Panthers, who entered the tournament second in the NCAA Division III for fielding, did not commit an error in the game.

Moceri totaled three hits as he set new Kean University records with 88 hits and 59 runs batted in this year. Mike Diaz added three hits as the Cougars finished with 15.

The win went to Ben Levitt (3-1), who pitched in relief and allowed one run over 1.2 frames. Matt Luzar started the contest and yielded four runs over 4.1 innings.

Joe Bartlinski (7-4) took the loss after surrendering five earned runs in 5.2 frames. Brandon Aich tossed the last 3.1 innings and gave up one run on two hits.

“You had two of the very best programs in the country playing against one another,” Kean coach Neil Ioviero added. “There was a great deal of mutual respect on both sides.”

By: Jon Feyen (Sports Information Student Assistant, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh)