No. 1 West Texas A&M (23-4, 10-2 Lonestar) at Lubbock Christian (20-6, 10-1 Heartland)
Tuesday, March 24 at 2 p.m. (DH)
Lubbock, Texas (PlainsCapital Park)
 
About West Texas A&M
The Lady Buffs have been atop the NFCA Division II Poll for 56 straight weeks dating to February 26, 2014. WT is currently 23-4 on the season, with losses from St. Mary's, St. Edward's, Angelo State and Texas A&M-Commerce. The Lady Buffs lead the nation in on-base percentage at .484.
 
History between Lady Chaps and Lady Buffs
The all-time series between the two squads is knotted at 6-all, with WT taking all four meetings against LCU last season. The Lady Buffs are 3-3 at PlainsCapital Park, winning the last three contests.
 
Lady Chaps making an impact statistically
Although LCU has yet to crack the NFCA polls, the Lady Chaps are showing up in several statistical categories, both within the Heartland Conference and nationally. LCU leads the league in batting average (.372), doubles per game (1.96), home runs per game (1.62), on base percentage (.455), scoring (8.38), stolen bases per game (2.12) and triples per game (.35).
The Lady Chap slugging percentage is second best in the nation, their batting average and home runs per game ranks them fourth in the country, and on base percentage and scoring are good enough for fifth.
 
Fantastic freshman Beuthien
First year Lady Chap Sydney Beuthien has made an impression midway through 2015 by leading LCU in hits (40), doubles (8), triples (3), homeruns (9), RBI (36), total bases (81) and slugging percentage (.827). The Era, Texas, native not only leads her team, but also the Heartland in the same categories, while nationally ranking second in home runs, sixth in RBI, ninth in home runs per game and 10^th in home runs. 
 
Last meeting amongst LCU and WT
CANYON, Texas (April 8, 2014) – A walkoff single by Mallory Wyatt during the eighth inning propelled number one West Texas A&M to a 3-2 victory over Lubbock Christian in game one, and the Lady Buffs defeated the Lady Chaps 10-2 in a shortened five innings in the second contest Tuesday evening at Schaeffer Park.
 
WTAMU's Brittany Gehle recorded the first hit on the day in the third inning of game one with a bunt and eventually made her way to third, but a popup by Jessica Sipe ended the inning. A deep homerun to right field by Ashton Bell put the Lady Chaps up 1-0 in the fourth, but Lady Buff Lacey Taylor answered with a homer of her own in the next inning to tie the game.
 
In the sixth inning, LCU (35-10, 14-4 Heartland) retook the lead with pinch runner Abbi White scoring after a single by Rebecca Billings put her on base and crossed the plate on a walk to Jessica Loiacano. A Lady Chap throwing error began the bottom of the sixth, and a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly allowed Callie Gerdes to score and again knot the game.
 
The contest was pushed into extra innings after both teams were unable to add any more runs in the next frame, and the Lady Chaps left two on base in the top of the eighth, giving the home team an opportunity. The international tiebreaker rule placed WTAMU's Kaisha Dacosin on second base, and Wyatt's single to centerfield brought her home for the Lady Buff victory.
 
Rita Hokianga (18-2) took the win with a pair of hits, three walks and 15 strikeouts, while Katera Eltsosie (18-5) suffered the loss with four hits, four walks and a pair of strikeouts.
 
The Lady Buffs (38-4, 15-4 Lone Star) went on a scoring frenzy in game two, chalking up four runs in the third inning, two in the fourth and four more in the fifth. An error by WTAMU in the top of the fifth allowed Kirstie Cochran to score, and a double by Megan Sullivan to left field brought Kaitlin Reed home, but it was not enough, as the Lady Buffs earned the win on the run-rule.
 
Hannah Newcomb (14-2) tallied the win with seven hits and a trio of strikeouts, while Bell (2-1) registered her first loss on the season with 11 hits and a strikeout.
 
Lengthy final game battle goes to Lady Chaps over SEU for series sweep
LUBBOCK, Texas (March 21, 2015) – A combined 27 runs, 31 hits, 373 pitches and eight home runs, capped by a grand slam by Lubbock Christian's Liz Torres in the bottom of the fifth, were all a part of a three and-a-half ballgame between LCU and St. Edward's in which the Lady Chaps pulled out a 15-12 victory over the Hilltoppers to complete the series and remain tied for first place within the Heartland Conference.
 
As they did yesterday, the Lady Chaps opened the game giving up early runs to the Toppers. Alex Mayfield got things rolling with a double to right center on the first pitch of the game and made her way to third on a bunt single by Kaci Olson. After Olson stole second, Faith Roberts singled through the right side, scoring Mayfield for the first run of the day. Morgan Dufour then sent a ball over the right center fence to bring a trio of scores across the plate for a 4-0 SEU advantage.
 
Not to be outdone, LCU pieced together an even bigger second half of the inning, racking up five runs. Singles by Faith Koria and Sammie Murrietta set up Jessica Loiacano for a three-run shot that barely cleared the left field fence to cut SEU's lead to 4-3. Molly Davison registered her second home run of the series by sending one to center field to tie the game at 4-4. Hoping to end LCU's big hits, St. Edward's subbed pitchers, putting Sarah Debrow in for Katelyn Klug, but Ashton Bell did not get the memo, as she sent one over on a full count to put LCU on top for the first time at 5-4.
 
The Toppers regained the lead 6-5 in the top of the second on a shot by Roberts that was just beyond first base and inside the foul line, allowing two runners to scamper home. LCU answered in the bottom of the third on a Sydney Beuthien single that rolled by a diving Topper second baseman to score Koria and Katlin Reed, once again putting the Lady Chaps on top, this time by a score of 7-6.
 
Courtney McGee gave up walks to the second, third and fourth batters of the fourth inning before a Dufour single down the left field line gave the Toppers a run to tie the contest at 7-all. Another SEU single by Cydney Ervin brought around Roberts and Aubrey Ruiz to extend St. Edward's lead to 9-7. The home plate umpire was struck by a ricocheted ball, delaying the game for nearly 20 minutes as he left to be treated, and his counterparts changed positions to finish the game as a two-man crew.
 
With two Lady Chap outs in the bottom of the fourth, Bell singled to right field and made her way around on a double by Torres down the left field line. Reed then blasted a shot over left field to bring Torres home for a 10-9 LCU lead. Kelsey Hoppel was hit by a pitch and stole second base, while Koria made her way to first on a walk. On pitch number twelve to Beuthien, she sent the ball on the ground towards the shortstop, who scooped it up and sailed it to the first baseman. The umpires initially ruled Beuthien safe, but then changed the call to rule her out, ending the inning.
 
The Lady Chaps pulled away in the fifth, started off by a Murrietta double that flew off of the gloves of both the shortstop and left fielder. The bases became loaded after a Loiacano single to left field, which turned into a stolen base for pinch runner Abi Poe, and Davison was hit by a pitch. Torres stepped to the plate and knocked out her grand slam to put LCU in front, 14-9. Reed produced a double to left center, and Beuthien brought her home on an RBI single to give the Lady Chaps another score.
 
Dufour tallied her second homer of the day on a shot to left field that smacked the scoreboard in the top of the sixth to slice the Lady Chap lead to 15-11, and Roberts hammered one over right field in the top of the seventh, but Bell caught the final out to end the marathon of a game, ending 15-12 in favor of LCU.
 
McGee (10-3) earned the win on nine hits, eight walks and four strikeouts.