INMAN, S.C. – A tough two-game series during Spring Break has seemingly served as a turning point in a number of ways for the Chapman Panthers baseball team, both on and off the field.
A big third inning and a solid outing on the mound helped propel the Panthers past the Emerald Vikings by a final tally of 9-0. A pair of right-handers, Banks Atkins and Jacob Cogdell, combined to throw seven superb innings, striking out eight and yielding only four hits to the Vikings. “We have talked very little about next week,” Chapman head coach Steven Fusaro admitted. “Now that it’s here, we know that next week is going to be a big time series versus an opponent we have a ton of respect for in Clinton. I love our guys and the way they’re playing.” Entering the third inning with a one-run lead, Chapman extended it by sending nine to the plate and scoring five runs. During the frame, Atkins smacked a two-run single to left, which drove in Landon Solesbee and Jarren Metcalf. Ricky Montalvo had an opposite-field single to right, scoring Atkins from third. Jake Murray ripped an RBI double to left-center field, which allowed Montalvo to touch home plate. Drew Settle singled and drove in Murray, which staked the Panthers to a 6-0 lead at that juncture of the contest. “Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been focusing on our approach,” said Murray, the Panthers’ senior third baseman. “Early on, I felt like I was pressing and had to carry the load, but as the season went on, I realized that we’ve got a lot of guys here that can play. If I just lead the way by playing the game how I can play it, then they’ll follow me. This year means a lot more, being with these guys and being that senior leader.” “We thought a lot going into that weekend (after Spring Break) about a bunch of different things,” Fusaro recalled. “I didn’t feel like we were focused on the things that really mattered. We had a great sermon this morning (at team breakfast) called ‘What Matters’.” “It’s no accident that we’re right here where we’re supposed to be. We've refocused our program back on God, the talents He’s given us, how to use them the right way, and who He has created us to be. There’s a lot of love that’s around this team.” Chapman (16-6, 8-0 Region III-3A) will host Clinton on Tuesday evening in Region III-3A play. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 PM. -Justin Mathis Comments are closed.
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