LAREDO, Texas (April 10, 2015) – The Lubbock Christian University Chaparrals had one rally fall short and another successfully lead to a win, as they split a Heartland Conference doubleheader Friday evening with a 3-2 loss and a 9-7 win over Texas A&M International University at Uni-Trade Stadium.

In the opener, LCU, coming off a 19-hit game Tuesday, were unable to garner a hit until their 18th batter of the game and Stephen Withrow produced the hit in the fifth inning after Gerardo Arzaga and Josh Powe had each reached base via errors. Brett Wilhelm would follow with the team's second hit and it drove in a run to cut their deficit to 3-1. Jesse Pintado followed hitting into a double play to cut it to 3-2, but LCU would not get any closer despite having a runner in scoring position in each of the final three innings.

The Chaps were 0-for-7 in the game in at-bats with two outs and they stranded six runners in the game. LCU was held to three hits in the game, but three errors allowed for baserunners.

TAMIU had their three runs in the opening three innings. The Dustdevils produced seven hits in the game and five were infield singles. A lead-off solo home run in the second inning by Conner Belvin was their only extra-base hit of the game.

Jeremy Gonzalez claimed the win in the opener (3-5), going five innings and allowing two unearned runs off two hits. LCU's Brig Gerlich took the complete game loss (5-5), allowing three runs (two earned) off seven hits in six innings.

Levi Westerlund took the mound for the second game for LCU and was cruising through 2.2 innings. The Chaps had a 3-0 lead, with two runs scoring off errors and a bases loaded walk, as Westerlund had not allowed a hit. It changed with two outs in the third inning, as five straight batters reached base, including a bases loaded double by Jake Cardoza, which scored three runs to complete a four-run third inning. They opened the third inning with three straight hits and Erasmo Gonzalez's double highlighted a three-run frame for a 7-3 TAMIU lead.

Once Glen Warrick came in to relieve Westerlund, TAMIU's bats went silent. TAMIU did not produce a hit over their final 19 plate appearances. Warrick allowed the final hit in the fourth inning as the beginning of three innings worked in relief. Mathew Lusk, who struck out all three batters he faced, Elfego Torres and Dalton Silva combined for three innings of no-hit ball.

The Chaps built off their pitching offensively, as they slowly chipped away at the 7-3 deficit. Hunter McFall hit LCU's first extra-base hit of the day with a double to lead off the fifth inning and it led to run, and the Chaps grabbed two more runs in the sixth inning with McFall producing again with a RBI-single to left centerfield to cut the deficit to 7-6. Ethan Kohnle subbed in late in the game and was a key piece to the Chaps come back. He had a single in his first at-bat (sixth inning) and then played a part in each run during a three-run eighth inning. He hit his second triple of the season in the eighth inning to score a pair of runs before scoring himself on a wild pitch for a 9-7 lead.

Kohnle finished the game 2-for-2 with two RBI. McFall (2-for-4) and Pintado (2-for-2) also had two-hit games, with McFall also driving in a pair. Cardoza was 1-for-2 with three RBI in the loss for TAMIU. Wilhelm went hitless, which had his team-leading 15-game hit streak end. Silva claimed the save (second of the season), as the win went to Lusk (1-0) for his first LCU win. Nick Perales allowed three runs off three hits and walked two batters in an inning of relief to suffer his first loss (1-1) of the season.

The Chaps had their streak of eight wins away from home end in the opening game, but responded by ending a two-game losing streak with the win in the second game, which places them 20-18 overall and 7-8 in conference. TAMIU went to 15-21 overall and 7-10 with the split. The two teams will decide the three-game series Saturday at 1 p.m. at Uni-Trade Stadium to wrap up LCU's first ever trip to The Gateway City.