LUBBOCK, Texas (April 7, 2015) – Ethan Kohnle produced a pair of home runs, including a grand slam, but Lubbock Christian University's 17 runs were not enough as West Texas A&M's Josh Day tied a program record with eight runs-batted-in and the two teams combined for 38 runs and 40 hits in a four-hour scoring marathon that resulted in a WT 21-17 win over LCU at Hays Field Tuesday night.

It was a flashback to Apr. 6, 1999 (16 years and one day) since LCU scored 17 runs in a game and ended up losing. On that day in 1999, it was ironically an 18-17 loss to West Texas A&M. Jump back to Tuesday evening, the two teams combined to throw 12 pitchers and 408 pitches (206 by WT).

Here is a breakdown of some of the offensive numbers:

Mark-Number-Highest Since…Additional Info
Most Runs Scored In a Loss – 17 – 4/6/99 18-17 loss to West Texas A&M… 3/9/90 19-18 loss at Baylor
Combined Team Runs – 38 – 43 on 4/30/10 vs. Southern Nazarene
Combined Team Hits – 40 – 47 on 4/30/10 vs. Southern Nazarene
Runs by an Opposing Team – 21 – 24 on 3/13/10 by Oklahoma Christian
RBI by an Opposing Team – 19 – 20 on 3/13/10 by Oklahoma Christian
RBI by an Opposing Player – 8, Josh Day – Highest by opp. of game-by-game records on file since '99       
Runs by an Opposing Player – 5, Trace Hansen – 5, Dustin Andrews (Oklahoma Christian) on 3/13/10
Total Bases by an Opposing player – 10, Josh Day – 16, Adam Bies (Southern Nazarene) on 4/30/10
At-Bats by an Opposing Team – 48 – 50 by Wayland Baptist 4/18/11
Hits by an Opposing Team – 21 – 24 by Wayland Baptist 4/18/11
At-Bats By an LCU Player – 7, Jesse Pintado – 7 by Jason Fisch and Ryan Burnaman (5/3/12 vs. Southern Nazarene)
At-Bats for LCU – 49 – 49 vs. Southern Nazarene on 5/3/12
Combined Team Homer Runs – 7 – 14 on 2/16/13 at Wayland Baptist
Combined Team Total Bases – 69 – 81 on 2/16/13 at Wayland Baptist
Home Runs By LCU – 4 – 5 vs. Oklahoma Christian on 4/19/14
Home Runs By An Opponent – 3 – 4 by Wayland Baptist on 2/18/14
 
Some of the marks by LCU were not season highs, as LCU had 23 runs off 26 hits on Feb. 6 vs. New Mexico Highlands.

Surprisingly the score was 1-0 after two innings with WT leading. The offense surge began in the third inning, as Mother Nature's winds blowing out (while the sun was out) helped the two teams combine for 12 runs in the inning. It was WT jumping out to a 5-0 lead with a four-run third inning. Two of the runs were tallied on a two-run double by Jace Reece. The Chaps answered with 13 batters stepping to the plate in the bottom of the inning with eight runs off eight hits. Nikko Velarde hit his third home run of the season and his first since Feb. 14 at Angelo State with a three-run shot, and it was following by an Ethan Kohnle homer to complete the back-to-back jacks. It marking the first time the back-to-back feat has been accomplished by the Chaps this season. LCU led 8-5 after the third inning, but the lead did not last long.

WT, who scored four runs in the third inning, scored four runs in the fourth inning, five runs in the fifth inning and four runs in the sixth inning. Day provided most of the damage in the middle frame for WT. He had a three-run home run inside the park home run in the fourth inning when an unsuccessful diving catch attempt by Chaps centerfielder Brett Wilhelm led to the ball rolling all the way to the wall. Day put one over the fence in the fifth inning with another three-run home run for his second homer of the game and of the season. He also added a pair of singles resulting in an RBI off each hit (sixth and seventh inning).

While WT scored 13 runs during the middle innings (five runs in the fifth inning were scored without any outs recorded on a tough relief outing by Chaps pitcher Dalton Silva, who fell to 2-2), LCU could only muster a trio of runs across. Josh Powe, playing in his 69th career game, hit his first triple with a fly ball into the right field corner for a two-out RBI in the fourth inning. LCU plated a pair in the sixth inning with Stephen Withrow and Jesse Pintado each driving in a run to cut WT's lead to 18-11 after six innings of play. WT made it 21-11 in the eighth inning with Dylan Dyson pinch hitting with a two-run single, but it was not the end of the Chaps.

LCU rallied with a six-run bottom of the eighth inning. Powe led off the inning with a solo home run, which skimmed the top of the left field wall for his second home run of the season and of his career. Later in the inning, WT made a pitching change with Sean Michel coming on to face Kohnle with the bases loaded, but Kohnle took advantage of the change blasting a grand slam over the right field fence for his first career multi-homer game. The home runs were his first of the season and it marked the 11th different Chap to hit a home run this season (three career home runs).

Trailing 21-17 in the bottom of the ninth inning, LCU had their chances. A lead off error allowed Powe to reach base, a failed pick-off error allowed him to advance to third base and Withrow walked to place runners on the corners with no outs. WT went to their closer Paul Lujan and he was able to seal the win with a pair of strikeouts and a foul out, as LCU left the tying run in the on-deck circle.

Powe was a double shy of the cycle, as he produced a career-high four hits in a 4-for-6 outing at the plate. Kohnle (3-for-6), Withrow (3-for-5), Stramp (3-for-5), Pintado (3-for-7) each had three hits for LCU. Kohnle finished with five RBI and his grand slam was the second by a Chap this season (Gerardo Arzaga had the last on Mar. 7 vs. Newman). Kohnle's multi-homer game marked the second consecutive game in which a Chaps has had a multi-home run game (third overall on the season). Brett Wilhelm, who extended his hit streak to a season-high 14 games Tuesday, produced a pair of home runs in LCU's last game at Oklahoma Panhandle State.

Ryan March (4-for-6) and Day (4-for-7) led WT in hits. Matt Cole also provided WT with three RBI.

Each team went with six pitchers. Guillaume Blachette started for LCU and went three innings allowing five runs off six hits. Elfego Torres had five of LCU's eight strikeouts in 1.2 innings of relief. Glen Warrick pitched 1.1 innings allowing one hit and was the only Chaps pitcher to not allow a run. Justin McAllister started for WT and allowed six runs off six hits in 2.1 innings.

In some of the uglier numbers, the two teams combined for 16 walks (eight for each team) and 23 runners stranded (13 by LCU).

WT was 6-for-9 getting their lead-off batter aboard resulting in a run in each inning they did so. The Buffs were 9-for-20 with runners in scoring position and 14 of their hits came with runners on base.

The loss places LCU with a 19-17 record. It ended a four-game win streak overall, a four-game win streak in non-conference play and a four-game win streak head-to-head against WT. The Buffs claimed their first win in Lubbock (snapping a streak of five straight losses at Hays Field) since Apr. 2, 2002 to improve to 23-13 on the season.

The Chaps hit the road Friday, heading to Laredo, Texas to face Texas A&M International. The three-game Heartland Conference series gets underway Friday with a doubleheader at 4 p.m.