Box Score

ABILENE – Second-ranked Chapman University (Calif.) tallied 16 hits en route to knocking off McMurry, 9-1, Friday afternoon in McMurry's season opener at Walt Driggers Field.

The win pushes Chapman to 2-2 on the year while the loss drops McMurry to 0-1.  The teams will finish their three-game set on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

Chapman ace Wayde Kitchens threw a gem for the Panthers as he pitched eight innings and only surrendered three hits and one unearned run.  Kitchens also struck out 10 batters and only walked three. 

Chapman scored four runs for Kitchens in the top of the third to get things rolling.  The Panthers added two more runs in the fourth, two in the sixth and one insurance run in the ninth to finish out the scoring. 

McMurry's lone run came in the bottom of the fifth when senior shortstop Nathan Love laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached base by virtue of an error by Chapman second baseman Tyler Hadzinsky, which subsequently allowed McMurry sophomore rightfielder Jake Mullin to score from second base.  But Kitchens rebounded from that unearned run and kept the McMurry bats relatively at bay the rest of the way. 

Senior Cody Curry took the loss as he went three innings and gave up four earned runs on six hits.  Curry also struck out three batters and walked four.

Senior designated hitter Weston Franco, sophomore catcher Blake Nichols, senior second baseman Tre Lips, and junior catcher Jeff Jackson each respectively got a hit for McMurry.  Lips' double was the only extra-base hit for McMurry.

John Semel went 4 for 5 for Chapman with two runs scored and two RBI, including a solo home run over the left field fence in the top of the ninth.

Chapman is now 7-5 all time against McMurry.