TUCSON, Ariz. (March 21, 2015) – Lubbock Christian University closed out their six-game stay at the Tucson Invitational Games on a four-game win streak with an 11-4 win Thursday night over Valley City State and a 19-0 win Friday morning over Dickinson State University at Kino Sports Complex
Thursday night, LCU trailed VCSU 4-1 after five innings and did not get on the scoreboard until an
Adam Norblom solo home run in the fifth inning. Vikings starting pitcher Chad Leskiw held LCU to two runs off six hits in six innings until leaving after the sixth inning. Once the bullpen came in, the Chaps offense came to life.
Brett Wilhelm drove in a run in the sixth inning for LCU and they scored a pair of runs in the seventh inning, with
Hunter McFall hitting a single before
Jose Favela hit into one of three Viking errors in the inning to tie the game 4-4. LCU followed with a seven-run eighth inning, with 11 batters going to the plate and producing seven hits.
Jesse Pintado and
Ethan Kohnle each had a double in the inning and McFall had a two-run single to cap a 4-for-4 appearance at the plate. The Chaps took an 11-4 lead and
Jay Rawlins sealed the win on the mound not allowing a hit over three innings pitched.
Rawlins claimed the win to go to 2-0 on the season. Reliever Jordan Roos took the loss for the Vikings (0-2) allowing nine runs (seven earned) off seven hits in 1.1 innings. McFall had three runs-batted-in.
Ethan Kohnle came off the bench to go 2-for-2 at the plate. Joe Demers was 2-for-5 for VCSU (14-13) in the loss.
Friday morning, LCU wasted no time against Dickinson State. The Chaps sent 15 batters to the plate in the second inning and eight hits later had a 12-0 lead. Willhelm drove in four runs during the inning with a two-run single and a two-run triple,
Jesse Pintado hit a bases loaded three-run triple, Kohnle produced a two-run double and
Shane Crawford crushed a two-run home run over the left field fence as the big contributors in the inning.
Gerardo Arzaga capped a three-run fourth inning with a two-run double for a 15-0 lead. The Chaps added to the lead in a four-run sixth inning with a pair scoring on a two-run home run by
Brennan Johnson and the final two runs scoring on an error hit into by
Luke McKay.
LCU's pitching staff was solid in the win over DSU.
Guillaume Blanchette started the game and claimed the win (3-2) in three innings (pitch count) by not allowing a run and faced one batter over the minimum while allowing three hits. Blanchette combined with
Elfego Torres,
Mathew Lusk,
Dalton Silva and
Glen Warrick for the team's first shutout of the season and the first since Mar. 8, 2014 (vs. Oklahoma Panhandle State). The Blue Hawks did not have a hit over their last 16 at-bats and LCU's bullpen combined for a string of eight strikeouts in a 10-batter span from the fourth through seventh innings. DSU pitcher Tyler Czech went 2.2 innings and allowed 12 runs off nine hits dropping to 1-1 on the season.
Pintado (2-for-3) and Wilhelm (2-for-2) each drove in four runs for LCU. Arzaga led the team with three hits (3-for-4). Every Chaps starter had at least a hit and six different players had multi-RBI performances. They totaled 18 hits, going 9-for-18 with runners in scoring position and 10-for-20 with two outs, leading to eight two-out-RBI. Johnson's homer marked the 10th different Chap to produce a home run this season. The 19-0 win marked the biggest win margin since a 22-3 win on Feb. 23, 2013 (vs. McMurry) and the score also was the most runs for LCU in a shutout since a 23-0 win on Mar. 17, 2009 (vs. College of Santa Fe).
The Chaps went 4-2 in Tucson and they leave on a four-game win streak, which has them 14-13 this season. Arzaga led LCU in Arizona with a .632 batting average (12-for-19). McFall, Wilhelm and Kohnle each hit .500 on the trip, with Kohnle leading the team with 16 total bases. Kohnle and Wilhelm each had nine RBI, which was one behind Pintado (led LCU with 10).
LCU returns back to Texas and plays their tenth consecutive game away from home Tuesday, as they head to Plainview, Texas to face Wayland Baptist at 6 p.m. LCU returns home Friday to host St. Edward's University (doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.).
