LUBBOCK, Texas (April 8, 2016) – Lubbock Christian University combined for 19 runs in their Heartland Conference doubleheader, sweeping Oklahoma Panhandle State with a 5-1 and 14-1 win Friday at Hays Field.
 
Both starting pitchers went the distance in the opener, as LCU's Guillaume Blanchette and OPSU's Sam Beattie each recorded a complete game. Blanchette went seven innings and allowed an unearned run off six hits. He walked one and struck out six batters. Beattie allowed five runs off nine hits in six innings. He struck out seven Chap batters.
 
LCU opened the scoring with a double down the right field line by JP Rousseau for a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Payton Osbon followed a Chaps error in the top of the third inning with a chopper up the middle to tie the game at 1-1. LCU regained the lead in the fourth inning and Rousseau was in the mix again. He led off the inning with a single and eventually scored on a two-run bases loaded single by Brett Wilhelm for a 3-1 lead. LCU added insurance in the sixth inning with a pair of two-out RBI. Brandon Rix followed two-out pinch-hit singles by Dillon Drury and Brennan Johnson with a single up the middle to cap the scoring.
 
Rix (2-for-4) and Rousseau (2-for-3) each had two hits for LCU. Wilhelm had a pair of RBI. Austin Beckner led OPSU going 2-for-3.
 
LCU produced 18 hits in the second game, with five resulting in doubles, as they scored in the first five innings. Rix singled in Brent Stewart, who led off the first inning with a double, for a run in the first, and Brandon Urquizo tripled in a run in the second inning to help LCU jump out to a 3-0 lead. OPSU had their only run in the third inning scored on a bases loaded walk. LCU responded with 11 consecutive runs. Wilhelm doubled in a run and Chase Simmons drove in a pair with a two run single to highlight a four-run third inning. Urquizo capped a three-RBI performance in the fifth inning driving in two of their five runs in the fourth inning for a 12-1 lead. The Chaps had six hits during the fifth inning. Brendan McCarthy helped LCU extend the lead to 14-1 in a two-run fifth inning with an RBI-double.
 
Ricky Contreras claimed his first win in a start, as he made his second start of the season. In five innings, he allowed one run off four hits and struck out eight batters to improve to 5-0. OPSU's Felipe Beltran suffered the loss (0-2) allowing seven runs (five earned) off nine hits in two innings. Eight different Chaps had at least one RBI and six had multi-hit performances. Simmons and Hunter McFall each went 3-for-4. Simmons and Urquizo each finished with three RBI. McFall and Wilhelm each sored three runs for LCU.
 
The two wins placed LCU with a 10-4 Heartland Conference record and a 24-10 overall mark. LCU's 24 wins surpasses their season total of 23 wins from last season. OPSU fell to 5-31 overall and 1-13 in conference. LCU and OPSU conclude their Heartland Conference series Saturday.