CANYON, Texas (April 12, 2016) – A bases loaded single in the 15th inning by West Texas A&M's Nick Chapman capped a two-out rally and was the difference in a 7-6 win by the No.21 Buffaloes over No.10 Lubbock Christian University Tuesday night at Wilder Park.
 
Collin Fraley, LCU's sixth pitcher of the game, retired the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the 15th inning, but then issued two walks, two wild pitches and plunked Matt Cole to load the bases. Chapman took advantage of the opportunity with a hit up the middle to end LCU's longest game of the year and hand the Chaps their first loss in extra innings (2-1).
 
The game was tied 5-5 heading into extra frames and there was a sequence of five innings without a run scored. In the top of the 13th inning, LCU's Hunter McFall was up with the bases loaded and facing a 3-1 count as the Buffs decided to make a pitching change in the middle of the count. Thomas Garland replaced Luke Wiechec and forced the count full before eventually walking McFall to give LCU a 6-5 lead. WT responded in the bottom of the inning with Troy LaBrie leading off with a double and eventually scoring off an error committed on the ensuing at-bat to tie the game at 6-6.
 
The game was scoreless until the home half of the fourth inning with WT getting on the scoreboard first with a two-out single by Christian Loya leading to an unearned run and a 1-0 lead. A Jesse Pintado sacrifice fly in the fifth inning tied the game at 1-1. LCU took their first lead of the game in the sixth inning with four singles leading to a three-run inning and a 4-1 lead. WT regained the lead in the bottom half of the sixth inning taking advantage of three consecutive walks issued by LCU's Glen Warrick, to start the inning, with four runs to get a 5-4 lead. Brandon Urquizo reached on a double in the seventh inning for LCU and scored on an error to tie the game at 5-5.
 
Thirteen pitchers were used and seven by WT. Garland was the winning pitcher (2-0), holding LCU to a hit in 2.1 innings. Fraley suffered the loss for LCU (1-1) allowing a run off two hits, striking out two and walking three batters. Russell Reber made his second consecutive start and held WT to one run off three hits in the no decision. Guillaume Blanchette made a relief appearance for LCU and did not allow a hit, facing the minimum, in three innings of work.
 
WT, 27-11 overall, received a 3-for-5 performance from Loya and a 3-for-8 evening from Chapman. LCU produced 15 hits, with Tony Reyes (3-for-7) leading a group of five multi-hit performers for the Chaps.
 
LCU fell to 25-11 with the loss and it ended their three-game win streak. The Chaps return home to open a three-game Heartland Conference series Friday hosting Texas A&M International at Hays Field.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
4:27 – The game was played in a span of four hours and 27 minutes.
6 – The Chaps stranded six runners in the extra innings.
10 – Number of combined WT batters reaching on either a walk or hit by pitch.
38 – Total number of combined players that participated in the game.
444 – The number of pitches thrown combined for both squads.