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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TOP-RANKED PANTHERS UPEND DEFENDING CHAMPS IN WORLD SERIES OPENER GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – A three-run fifth inning helped Chapman University overcome a 4-2 deficit and the Panthers cruised through the late innings to beat defending national champion Marietta College (Ohio) 8-4 at Tim Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Friday evening in the opener of the NCAA Division III World Series. No. 1-ranked Chapman will face the winner of Cortland State/Kean University on Saturday at 5:45 p.m. (PDT) in a winner's bracket game. Despite being out-hit 14-13, the Panthers got the big hits when they needed them, namely an RBI double by senior OF Tyler Dean followed by a two-run single from sophomore IF Patrick Ohail which put Chapman ahead for good in the fifth. Dean had a pair of doubles in the game and scored two runs. After a rough beginning, in which Marietta scored four times and had 11 hits in the first four innings, senior RHP Devin Drag settled down. Once Chapman gained the lead in the fifth, Drag shutout the Pioneers over the next three innings and handed an 8-4 lead to closer Kurt Yacko. The sophomore RHP retired all six batters he faced, including three strikeouts, for his 10th save of the year. The win was Drag's 16th of the season (16-0), tying him with former MLB pitcher Don August '84 for the all-time school record for victories in a season. The senior improved on his Division III lead in wins and improved his career record to 30-2. "Devin just did a fantastic job of gutting it out and getting seven innings to get the 'W'," said Chapman head coach Tom Tereschuk. "He just kept battling, pitch-by-pitch, and got us deep in the game. Devin kept making the pitches and he was just really a bulldog out there." Stuart Hyman and Kyle Redding each had three hits for Chapman (41-6) and combined for five RBI. ### Game stats available online: |
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