NCAA® 2007 DIVISION III BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
WEST REGION

GAME 9
#2 Pacific Lutheran 4, #1 Chapman 3

NO. 2 PACIFIC LUTHERAN OUT-DUELS NO. 1 CHAPMAN 4-3

ORANGE, Calif. - The top two seeds in the NCAA Division III West Region lived up to expectations on Friday afternoon at Hart Park when No. 2 Pacific Lutheran University (Wash.) defeated host and No. 1 seed Chapman University 4-3. The Lutes, making their first-ever NCAA postseason appearance, are one win away from the West Region championship and a trip to the Division III World Series in Appleton, Wis.

Chapman (37-6) may get another crack at Pacific Lutheran (35-7), but they'll have to beat the winner of Friday afternoon's Texas Lutheran/UT-Dallas contest at 7 p.m. tonight to do so.

The Lutes took an early lead with an unearned run in the first and Matt Akridge doubled home a run in the second to give Pacific Lutheran a 2-0 advantage.

The Panthers rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning when Ryan Cavan tripled home a pair of runs with two outs.

PLU regained the lead for good with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Ryan Thorne and Brandon Sales led an 11-hit offensive attack with three hits apiece. Chapman rallied with a run in the bottom of the seventh and had the tying run at third with two outs in the ninth, but failed to score.

Lutes' RHP Kael Fisher held the Panthers to just four hits and 6 1/3 innings and struck out seven. RHP Logan Andrews pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings for his first save of the year. Chapman managed just five hits in the game.

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Game stats available online:
/athletics/06-07/baseball/regionals/game9.htm