LUBBOCK, Texas (March 24, 2017) – Chase Simmons went 3-for-4 with a double and home run and Ricky Contreras allowed three hits in a complete game effort, as No.16 Lubbock Christian University cruised to a 11-1 win over St. Mary's University in a run-rule seventh inning final Friday in Heartland Conference play at Hays Field.
 
St. Mary's starting pitcher Holden Grounds had allowed a total of five runs in his last five starts, but Friday, LCU got to him early.  Grounds' first eight pitches of the game resulted in balls and LCU received free passes to their first two batters in the order before eventually rattling off six singles and scoring six runs in the inning. Grounds would only last two innings, as he allowed nine runs off nine hits. Simmons led off the third inning with a solo home run for his second career home run and his first of the season.  It jumpstarted a four-run inning for LCU, who led 10-0 after three innings.
 
The Rattlers were held to three hits and two came in the sixth inning, with a double by Donnie Perez scoring StMU's only run of the game.  Jaime Bustamante tripled to lead off the seventh inning and Brandon Rix followed with a single to walk-off the 11-1 win in run-rule fashion.
 
Contreras held the Rattlers without a hit for the opening 3.1 innings of the game. He struck out six batters and improved to 4-0 on the season while completing his third complete game of the season. Grounds fell to 3-3 with the loss for StMU.
 
Eight different Chaps had hits and at least one RBI in the game. Bustamante (2-for-3), Rix and Logan Nethercot each had two RBI to co-lead the Chaps. Simmons led all players with three hits and had seven total bases. Perez was 2-for-3 for StMU with two of the Rattlers three hits in the game.
 
LCU is now 4-0 against St. Mary's this season, but this was the first meeting counting towards their Heartland Conference standings. The loss was the first conference loss of the season for StMU (6-1), who falls to 12-12 overall on the season. The Chaps have won their third straight contest and are 19-8 overall and 3-1 in conference this season. LCU and StMU will resume the series Saturday with a doubleheader set to begin at 1 p.m.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS    
2/11 | Simmons' home run was the first LCU home run hit at home this season since Feb. 11 against Adams State (Caleb Koedyker).
2 | LCU had been 0-for-9 against StMU with the bases loaded, but Friday they went 2-for-5 with the bases loaded, as Brandon Urquizo and Jaime Bustamante each a bases loaded hit.
2-for-3 | StMU's Donnie Perez had been 0-for-11 this season against LCU until his 2-for-3 performance Friday.
5 | Five different Chaps produced multi-hit performances.
8 | Chase Simmons leads LCU in this season's series and is now 8-for-15 (.533) against the Rattlers. Three of the eight hits are for extra bases.
9 | The Chaparrals went 9-for-17 with runners in scoring position, with nine of their team's 14 hits coming with runners in scoring position.
11 | Ryan Rogers extended his hit streak to 12 games with his 2-for-2 performance at the plate.
19-3 | LCU has a 59-19 advantage in at-bats with runners in scoring position, and it has led to a 19-3 hit advantage with runners in scoring position.
33 | LCU has combined for 33 runs in their last two home games.