LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (16-5, 0-0 Heartland) at ST. EDWARD'S (10-6, 0-0 Heartland)
Friday, February 26 – 1 p.m. (DH)
Diane Daniels Field (Austin, Texas)
All-Time Series: LCU leads 5-1

LUBBOCK, Texas (February 26, 2016) - Lubbock Christian University travels to the state capital to open Heartland Conference play at St. Edward's with two games on Friday at 1 and 3 p.m.

CONFERENCE OPENER
LCU is 2-2 in Heartland Conference opener action since 2014, as they were swept by St. Mary's in 2014 and returned the favor in sweeping the Rattlers in 2015. All-time, the Lady Chaps are 11-5 in conference openers as they have begun league play with a double-header each year.

HEARTLAND PITCHER OF THE WEEK
The Lady Chaps will have their work cut out for them as they face the current Heartland Conference Pitcher of the Week, Lauren Slatten. The right hander went 3-0 this past week with a 0.64 ERA, striking out 24 batters in 22 innings of work. The honor for the junior is her second of the season. On the year she is 6-3 with a 2.02 ERA and has compiled 63 strikeouts in 59 innings.

HEARTLAND HITTER OF THE WEEK
LCU heads into the weekend led by the current Heartland Conference Hitter of the Week, Morgan Colburn. The redshirt senior from Denver hit five home runs last week, drove in 13 runs and finished the week with a 1.333 slugging percentage. Colburn now leads the team in batting average (.439), home runs (8), doubles (7), hits (25), runs scored (23), runs-batted-in (24), total bases (56), on base percentage (.568) and slugging percentage (.982).

LAST MEETING
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.