Lubbock Christian (24-7, 13-1 Heartland) at No. 2 West Texas A&M (27-6, 13-3 Lone Star)
Tuesday, March 31 at 4 p.m. (DH)
Canyon, Texas (Schaeffer Park)
 
About West Texas A&M
WT's streak of 56 weeks atop the NFCA poll came to a halt last week after the Lady Buffs dropped to number two following a split with LCU in Lubbock on March 24. WT is coming off of a 3-1 series win over #25 Cameron to take over sole possession of first place within the Lone Star Conference.
 
History between LCU and WT
The all-time series is locked at 7-7 between the two ball clubs after last Tuesday's split at PlainsCapital Park. The Lady Chaps have a 3-3 mark in Canyon and are 1-3 at Schaeffer Park which includes last season's pair of LCU losses on April 8.
 
Mighty McGee
Only a day after having her wisdom teeth removed, pitcher Courtney McGee was the one to direct the Lady Chaps to the 4-3 win over number one West Texas A&M by striking out five batters and not allowing the Lady Buffs to register a hit until the fourth inning. The redshirt senior picked up three wins last week in three complete games while not giving up a single extra base hit and forcing 37 groundouts against WT and Rogers State. The Yorba Linda, Calif., product is second in the Heartland with 13 wins.
 
Beuthien making noise with her numbers
First year Lady Chap Sydney Beuthien has made an impression during the 2015 season by putting up impressive numbers to lead the Heartland and rank nationally. Beuthien leads the league in home runs per game (.40), home runs (12), RBI (43), RBI per game (1.43) and triples per game (.10). The Era, Texas, native's numbers rank her fifth nationally in RBI, sixth in home runs per game and seventh in home runs.
 
Lady Chaps making an impact statistically
In addition to Beuthien's statistical rankings, the Lady Chaps are showing up in several team categories as well, despite LCU having yet to crack the NFCA polls. LCU leads the league in batting average (.363), doubles per game (1.77), home runs per game (1.58), on base percentage (.448), scoring (8.06), slugging percentage (.610), stolen bases per game (1.81) and triples per game (.29).
The Lady Chap batting average is second best in the nation, while their slugging percentage ranks third, scoring is fourth, home runs per game is fifth and on base percentage is good enough for sixth.
 
Last meeting between the Lady Chaps and Lady Buffs
LUBBOCK, Texas (March 24, 2015) – A gutsy performance by Lubbock Christian pitcher Courtney McGee led the Lady Chaps in defeat of the nation's number one team, West Texas A&M, following a Kelsey Hoppel score on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh to steal a 4-3 win before the Lady Buffs escaped an LCU rally in game two for a doubleheader split in WT's 4-3 victory.
 
On the first pitch in the bottom of the second, Molly Davison sent a solo shot over left field for the initial score of the day, and McGee, who was in recovery mode from having her wisdom teeth removed only yesterday, struck out Tyler Wilkinson for the last out in the top of the third to keep the Lady Chap lead at 1-0. Ashton Bell copied Davison by hitting a homer to right center in the bottom of the frame to double LCU's lead to 2-0.
 
Ailing McGee gave up her first hit in the fourth, a Kaisha Dacosin single to left field, but the Lady Buff ended up stranded on a WT groundout. Davison tallied her second hit of the day in the bottom half of the inning, but she would wind up stranded as well, by way of Liz Torres grounding into a double play.
 
Katlin Reed singled down the left field line in the bottom of the fifth before making her way to second on a Shlay Denison sacrifice bunt. Bell registered hit number two of the day on a single up the middle to score Reed to increase the Lady Chap lead to 3-0.
 
WT (24-5) made a run during the seventh, beginning with singles by Allie Cranfill and Ashley Hardin. Brittany Gehle earned a walk to load the bases with one out on the board. McGee struck out Wilkinson on a full count, putting the Lady Chaps (21-7) within one out of a victory. With Stacey Ramirez up to bat, a passed ball advanced each of the WT runners which included a Lady Buff score. On a full count, Ramirez fired a ball over the glove of Kelsey Hoppel at shortstop that landed in shallow left field as Gehle and Hardin sprinted across the place to tie the game at 3-3 before a Lady Buff groundout ended the inning.
 
Hoppel singled to third base in LCU's final attempt to score and advanced to second on a WT throwing error. Hoping to shut down the Lady Chap bats, the Lady Buffs replaced pitcher Tori Bayer for Rita Hokianga. Bell grounded out to third for the second out, but in doing so pushed Hoppel up to third base. Hokianga threw a wild pitch with Sydney Beuthien up to bat, and as the ball rolled towards the backstop Hoppel scampered in to give the Lady Chaps a run and the 4-3 victory.
 
McGee (11-3) earned the win on seven hits, two walks and five strikeouts.
 
The Lady Buffs opened game two with a pair of groundouts but found their bats on a Dacosin single to left field succeeded by an Allie Smith homer to left field for a 2-0 WT advantage. The Lady Chaps attempted to strike back in the bottom half with a Bell single up the middle and her move to second base on a wild pitch. Jessica Loiacano made her way to first on a walk, but was put out on a Davison infield shot to leave a pair of Lady Chaps on base.
 
LCU was close to grossing their first score of the contest in the second with a Torres single to right center. Jenny Rigney replaced Torres as a pinch runner and advanced to second as Reed was hit by a pitch. Addison Ard grounded into a double play as Rigney was able to make it to third base on the play, but a Pam Pence groundout concluded the inning.
 
In the fifth, WT's Hannah Limmer walked and next batter Wilkinson blasted a shot to center field that sent Bell diving, but her attempt was unsuccessful, sending the ball back to the fence and giving just enough time for both Lady Buffs to cross home plate and double the lead to 4-0. The Lady Chaps were able to make a dent in WT's lead in the bottom half, starting with a Bell single up the middle that preceded a Beuthien homer to right center, cutting the Lady Buff lead in half. Sammie Murrietta reached on a fielding error and Loiacano joined her on the bases by way of a walk before a Davison RBI single that smoked WT's pitcher brought Murrietta around to cut LCU's deficit to one. The Lady Chaps twice had the bases loaded, but Loiacano was thrown out at home and Ard flied out to right field to leave three LCU runners stranded.
 
The Lady Buffs looked to add to their advantage in the seventh on a Hardin double down the left field line where she advanced to third on a Gehle sacrifice bunt, but Hoppel struck out Lacey Taylor and Wilkinson popped out. The Lady Chaps did not succeed in their last chance to score, as WT retired the next three LCU batters to split the doubleheader.
 
Hoppel (5-1) suffered her first loss of the year with five hits, two walks and four strikeouts.
 
LCU takes another win in Claremore
CLAREMORE, Okla. (March 28, 2015) – Lubbock Christian registered a dozen hits while pitcher Courtney McGee allowed just three in the 7-2 series finale win versus Rogers State Saturday afternoon at Diamond Sports Complex in which the Lady Chaps totaled three home runs.
 
LCU (24-7, 13-1 Heartland) took all three games from RSU (8-18, 4-10 Heartland) to move to the top of league standings alongside Texas A&M International. TAMIU is playing a doubleheader at St. Edward's today to determine whether or not the Lady Chaps will remain in first place.
 
Three singles by the Lady Chaps got the game going before Jessica Loiacano grounded into a double play but gave Faith Koria enough time to come around for the first score. Ashton Bell then singled to left field for an RBI and a 2-0 Lady Chap advantage.
 
Loiacano and Molly Davison tallied successive home runs in the third, with Loiacano blasting one over left center and Davison sailing one by the scoreboard in right field, to add a trio of runs extending LCU's lead to 5-0. RSU's Ashleigh Stidman reached first following a dropped ball by Davison and advanced to second on a wild pitch to become the first Hillcat in scoring position on the day. Carley Conley knocked one to center field that bounced off of Bell's leg, letting Cailin Simpson and Jamie Kowalick scoot around for two RSU runs to slice the LCU to three.
 
In the fifth, Liz Torres tallied the third Lady Chap homer on the afternoon to put LCU up 6-2. A walk to Koria, single by Beuthien and another walk to Murrietta loaded the bases for the Lady Chaps to set up Loiacano who hit a grounder to third to force out Beuthien but was enough for Koria to make it home to add the final run for LCU.
 
McGee (13-3) took another win in the circle with her trio of hits, pair of walks and four strikeouts.