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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – Chapman University right-hander Buddy Klovstad was familiar enough with Eastern Connecticut State baseball team, having beaten them in Orange this March. The Warriors hitters didn’t look so comfortable against Klovstad though as the two-time All-American threw a complete-game six-hitter against EConn carrying the Panthers baseball team to a 6-3 opening round victory at the NCAA Division III national championships at Fox Cities Stadium on Friday morning. Chapman (32-11) got a big boost from senior Brian Brubaker, whose solo home run to leadoff the sixth inning snapped a 1-1 tie and swayed momentum back in the Panthers’ favor after an unearned run pulled Eastern (35-19) even in the top of the inning. Klovstad, who was named to the All-America first team for the second straight year on Thursday night, was on his game Friday, allowing just three hits through the first eight innings. The senior recorded 16 ground ball outs versus just four fly ball outs, and struck out four batters. As a result of so many grounders, shortstop Kurt Yacko came within one assist of tying the Division III championships record for assists in a game. “I’d rather get 27 ground ball outs than 10 strikeouts in a game any day,” said Klovstad, who set a new school record with his 28th career victory (28-3) and tied another with his 13th win of the season (13-1), which also leads the nation. The Panthers offense was slow to start, getting just an RBI single from freshman Steve Fraser in the fourth inning, until Brubaker’s blast in the sixth gave Chapman the lead for good. Fraser finished 2-for-4 and Yacko was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Chapman broke the game wide open in the eighth with four runs. Senior Tyler Dean doubled in a run and scored on a Fraser single. Freshman Patrick Ohail also had a sacrifice fly. “When you’ve got a guy like Buddy on the mound, you know the other team’s not going to score a whole lot of runs,” said Chapman head coach Tom Tereschuk, who improved to 3-0 in World Series openers. “We know we have to play good defense and have good at-bats. Bru’s shot got us going a little bit with the bats.” Chapman advances to the winner’s bracket where it will face the winner of today’s Wheaton (Mass.)/North Carolina Wesleyan contest at 4:30 p.m. (cst) on Saturday.
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