The host Chaparrals got the upper-hand Thursday afternoon In a match-up of 1 vs. 2 in Region 4 Division III.
 
Behind the stellar relief pitching of Zak Fischer and timely hitting from Anthony Perez, the Chaps won for the seventh time in their last eight games with a 9-8 victory over region-leading Oakton.
 
Fischer threw 5 2/3 innings of relief and earned the victory to improve his record to 3-1. He gave up one unearned run and four strikeouts.
 
Perez drove in the game-winning run on a two-out double in the seventh. He finished 3-for-4 with a single, double and a triple and finished with four RBI for COD, now 12-14 overall.
 
"It's really fun to watch us hit,'' head coach Bobby Wilson said of his team's nine-hit attack. "It seems that we're never out of a game with our bats. We flat-out battled today. (Starter) Nick Stacey didn't have his best stuff and we didn't make some plays behind him, but we didn't give in as a team. We chipped away at the lead when we were down. I thought we played a real hard nine-inning game against a very good Oakton team.''
 
The Chaps fell behind 7-4 entering their half of the fourth inning. A three-run, two-hit sixth inning with the Chaps taking advantage of a few Owls' miscues put COD ahead 8-7.
 
Back to run-scoring singles by Zion Baker and Cam Bailey arrived after the Chaps scored on a wild pitch, strikeout from Seth Borden.
 
The Owls tied the game at 8-8 in the seventh, setting up Perez' key play. Perez lifted a line-drive double to left that scored Steven Salvino with two outs that gave the Chaps the lead for good.
 
Fischer built upon the Chaps' offensive momentum when he took the mound in the final two innings. He retired the final six Owls in order for the win.
 
COD plays host to Joliet on Saturday with first pitch at noon.