THE COLLEGES : College Roundup : USC Rallies to Beat Chapman

The USC baseball team rallied for seven runs in the ninth inning to defeat Chapman College 7-6 in a nonconference baseball game on USC’s Dedeaux Field.

Chapman had a 6-0 lead going into the ninth, thanks mainly to Chris Cutliff, who drove in five runs with a two-run homer in the first and a bases-loaded double in the seventh.

But, with one out and the bases loaded in the ninth, reliever Matt Patuano (1-1) walked Bret Boone, formerly of El Dorado High School, to score Greg Hokuf.

USC then got five straight hits, including the game-winning single by John Jackson.

USC is 15-0, which marks the best start by a Trojan baseball team, improving on the 14-0 mark posted by the 1943 team, Rod Dedeaux’s first squad.

The loss was the sixth straight for Chapman (6-8-1).

In other nonconference games:

UC Irvine 17, Cal Poly Pomona 7--Doug Kline drove in 6 runs on 2 hits to lead UC Irvine at home.

The 17 runs were the most scored by an Irvine team since April 10, 1985, when the Anteaters defeated United States International University, 23-3.

Pomona (8-4) led, 5-3, going into the bottom of the fourth. But Irvine (8-9-1) scored six runs, three on Osmar DeChavez’s home run, to take a 9-5 lead.

In men’s nonconference tennis:

UC Irvine 9, San Diego State 0--UC Irvine, ranked No. 10 in nation, had little trouble at home. Mark Kaplan, Irvine’s No. 1 singles player, defeated Russell Myers, 6-4, 6-3.

USC 8, Chapman 1--USC (10-0) swept the singles, losing only one set, at home. Chapman’s only victory came at No. 2 doubles where Paul Charlesworth and Barry Hancock defeated Paul Brandt and Rick Kepler 6-4, 6-1.

In women’s nonconference tennis:

San Diego State 8, UC Irvine 1--Irvine’s Stacey Cadigan got the Anteaters’ only victory when she defeated Kim Cook at No. 6 singles, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.