Chapman Ousted by Cal Lutheran

Chapman, which beat rival Cal Lutheran three of four games during the regular season, couldn’t find that same magic in the postseason.

Cal Lutheran had an answer against Chapman in the NCAA Division III West Regional, defeating the Panthers twice, including a 5-2 victory in Saturday’s championship game at Georgetown, Texas.

The Panthers (39-5) were knocked into the losers’ bracket Friday after losing to the Kingsmen (31-12). A Chapman victory in the double-elimination tournament Saturday would have forced a final game against Cal Lutheran. Cal Lutheran advances to the semifinals next weekend in Salem, Va.

Saturday’s game was a pitchers’ duel between Cal Lutheran’s Aaron Springston and Chapman’s Jeff Blitstein, who entered the game with a 13-0 record and a 1.05 earned-run average. Cal Lutheran got to Blitstein in the bottom of the sixth inning with RBI singles by Eric Buben and Eric Medina.

Chapman answered in the eighth, as Adam Olow and Eric Albright each hit RBI doubles, tying the score, 2-2. Cal Lutheran had the game-winning rally in the bottom of the eighth. Buben and Medina had RBI singles, and Buben scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-2.

“We had a great season,” Chapman Coach Rex Peters said. “[Cal Lutheran] just got the key hits when they needed them.”