HEARTLAND CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (42-12, 19-5, No.2 Seed) vs. OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN (26-24, 16-8, No.3 Seed)
Thursday, April 28, 2016 – 1:30 PM                               
The Softball Stadium inside The Park at St. Mary's (San Antonio, Texas)
Radio: Online Only    
All-Time Series: LCU leads 25-5

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (April 28, 2016) – Lubbock Christian University softball opens postseason play for the first time as members of the Heartland Conference and NCAA Division II by facing three-seed Oklahoma Christian at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in the second game of the five-team field Heartland Conference Tournament hosted by one-seed St. Mary's in San Antonio. All games will be played at The Softball Stadium inside The Park at St. Mary's on the campus of St. Mary's University. The winner will advance to play Friday at noon, while the loser will play an elimination game later Thursday night at 6:30 p.m.

LAST GAME
LUBBOCK, Texas (April 23, 2016) – A grand slam home run by the nation's home run leader, Morgan Colburn, sparked Lubbock Christian softball to complete the three-game Heartland Conference sweep of Newman with a 9-5 victory on Senior Day at PlainsCapital Park Saturday.

GRAND
The Jets (18-35, 7-17) jumped out in front first with a home run to left field by Taylor Mannis in the top of the fifth inning. In the bottom of the inning the Lady Chaps (42-12, 19-5) led off with three straight hits by Katlin Reed, Lindzi Clemmer, and Ashton Bell loaded the bases for Colburn who hit her NCAA leading 23rd home run to put LCU up 4-1. Newman would get two more runs in the sixth before the Lady Chaps would plate five more runs of their on in the inning with Sammie Murrietta leading off the inning with a solo home run. Sydney Beuthien followed with a single. Reed singled for the second time in the game before Shlay Denison pinch hit with a single of her own to load the bases. Beuthien then scored off the bat of Bell. Katera Eltsosie followed with a shot off the left field foul pole to score herself, Reed and pinch runner Savanna Luke. The Jets would score two additional runs in the top of the seventh.

IN THE CIRCLE
Kelsey Hoppel (3-0) started in the circle for the Lady Chaps going five innings allowing only one run off three hits while striking out four Jets to notch her third win. Hoppel was relieved by Katlyn Holmes (1) who threw the final two innings allowing four runs off four hits to earn her first save of the season. Katie Ingles (7-11) threw five innings surrendering six runs off nine hits. Jensen Cromer threw the final inning for Newman allowing an additional three runs off four hits.

STARTERS
All but one of the regular starters for the Lady Chaps are hitting over .300 for the season with the lone starter hitting .292 for the year, with the lowest slugging percentage at .450. In conference play those same nine have two players hitting over .400.

ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Lubbock Christian led the Heartland Conference with seven members making the All-Conference Team:

Lindzi Clemmer – First Team Shortstop
Morgan Colburn – First Team At-Large
Katera Eltsosie – First Team Designated Player
Liz Torres – First Team Catcher
Ashton Bell – Second Team Outfield
Molly Davison – Second Team First Base
Katlyn Holmes – Second Team Pitcher

AGAINST OC
The Lady Eagles and the Lady Chaps competed against each other when both were in the Sooner Athletic Conference in the NAIA. They both moved into the NCAA Division II and have continued to be conference foes as members of the Heartland Conference. Lubbock Christian holds a 25-5 advantage in the all-time series.

PRIOR MEETING VS. OC
LUBBOCK, Texas (March 4, 2016) – Good Friday was good for the Lady Chaps as they wrapped-up a series sweep of Oklahoma Christian at PlainsCapital Park with a10-2 walk-off, run-ruled victory.

HOT START
Lubbock Christian (33-7) jumped to a big lead early scoring five runs in the first inning off three home runs. Ashton Bell had a solo-shot to get things started before Morgan Colburn doubled and was brought home on the two-run bomb by Molly Davison. Liz Torres followed by drawing a walk and was then pinch-ran for by Baylee Goolsby. Katera Eltsosie then took the very next pitch and drove it over the center field fence to score herself and Goolsby. Bridget White led off the third inning for Oklahoma Christian (14-19) with a home run to put the Lady Eagles on the board. LCU returned fire in the fourth inning when Sydney Beuthien hit her second home run of the season driving in two more runs. The Lady Eagles would continue to battle scoring a run in the top of the fifth to make it a 2-7 ballgame. LCU managed to get two runners on in the bottom of the fifth and with two outs Beuthien hit her second home run of the day, a rocket to Eileen Boulevard (the street past the center field fence), for a walk-off victory via the 'run-rule'.

IN THE CIRCLE
Katlyn Holmes (14-2) got the start for the Lady Chaps picking up her 14th victory this year. For OC, Madison Nordyke (1-8) got the start lasting on one-third of an inning allowing five runs off of four hits. Kaylie Upton came in and pitched the final four-and-one-third innings allowing another five runs off seven hits.