LUBBOCK, Texas (April 14, 2018) – No.18 Lubbock Christian University starting pitchers
Ryan Johnson and
Chandler Casey each hurled complete game performances marking four consecutive complete game outings by Chap pitchers. All four performances came in their four-game Heartland Conference series against Texas A&M International, with Johnson and Casey claiming theirs Saturday as part of an 8-4 and 9-1 LCU doubleheader and series sweep at Hays Field.
The last time LCU had three consecutive complete game pitching performances was Mar. 16 - 17, 2009 in home wins over Texas Wesleyan and College of Santa Fe. The last time LCU completed the task of four consecutive complete games was in February of 2008, as they manufactured a string of five straight complete game pitching performances. That stretch in 2008 came from pitchers Gary Poynter (Feb. 22, 2008 vs. Cumberland and Feb. 29, 2008 at Oklahoma Baptist), James Wallace (Feb. 23, 2008 vs. Cumberland), Tanner Vickers (Feb. 29, 2008 vs. Cumberland) and current assistant coach
Chris Holguin (Feb. 29, 2008 at Oklahoma Baptist).
Casey's gem marked the fifth different pitcher to throw a complete game this season for LCU, matching their highest total of pitchers with at least one complete game since they had five pitchers finish the task in 2010. LCU has 10 complete game pitching performances this season.
In the opener Saturday, LCU struck first with a six-run first inning. LCU received their first hit with the bases loaded against TAMIU this season (had been 0-for-8 this season against TAMIU) with a
Dillon Drury triple to plate a trio of runs in the first inning.
Andres Negron and
Scotland Church also added RBI-singles to cap the six-run inning.
Abel Aguilar rallied the Dustdevils back with a double down the left field line in the third inning, which sparked a four-run outburst to cut LCU's lead to 6-4. TAMIU was able to get the tying run aboard in the top of the fourth inning, but Johnson regrouped and collected a pair of strikeouts to end the threat.
Johnson was solid with the wake-up call in the fourth inning, as he did not allow a hit to the final 13 batters he faced, retiring the final 10 in order. The Canadian lefty struck out seven of the final 12 batters faced and completed the game with a career high 10 strikeouts in 7.0 innings. He improved his record to 5-3 and allowed four runs (two earned) off six hits. His complete game was his third of the season.
Drury, who went 1-for-3 in the game, collected a fourth RBI in the game in the fourth inning off a sacrifice fly, which was his third sac-fly of the season (second against TAMIU).
Braden Hayward closed the scoring in the fifth inning with a solo home run that battled the strong northern winds and hit off the scoreboard in right field for his fifth homer of the season. Church (2-for-4),
Ryan Rogers (2-for-3) and
Andres Negron (2-for-2) each had multi-hit performances and helped the Chaps to 10 hits in the game. They were able to hand the loss to Kyle Kieschnick (1-5), who allowed seven runs off eight hits in 4.0 innings.
Casey's success in the second game was his ability to force TAMIU into ground outs. The Dustdevils grounded out 14 times in the game. Casey (3-1), who threw 87 pitches in 9.0 innings for his first complete game as a Chap (third start of the season), allowed one unearned run in the game and it came in the fourth inning, as TAMIU had three of their game's seven hits in the inning. The run cut into LCU's 4-0 lead, as the Chaps led early.
Andrew Pratt opened the scoring in the first inning with a RBI-double to score
Logan Nethercot, who would score again in the second inning, but off the bat of Rogers for a 2-0 lead. Drury parked a 3-2 pitch beyond the right centerfield fence in the third inning for a two-run home run. His third dinger of the season (seventh of his LCU career) gave LCU a 4-0 lead. Church hit a bases loaded two-out single to score a pair of runs in the sixth inning and LCU closed the scoring with Rogers (double), Pratt and Church collecting a RBI with base hits in a three-run eighth inning.
Five pitchers took their turn on the mound for the Dustdevils in the second game, with starter Erick Garay taking the loss (0-4) after allowing four runs off seven hits in 2.0 innings. Church (3-for-4) and Rogers (3-for-5) each co-led LCU with three hits in the game and combined with Pratt to go 8-for-13 with the No.3-4-5 portion of the starting lineup.
Chaps starting pitchers
Ricky Contreras and
Callan Johnson were impressive Friday, combining for 16 strikeouts and forcing TAMIU into 18 groundouts. Saturday,
Ryan Johnson and Casey combined for 14 strikeouts and forced TAMIU in 21 groundouts.
LCU improved to 26-12 with the wins, which extended their home win streak to eight games. TAMIU fell to 12-25 overall and 4-12 in conference. The wins for the Chaps also pushed their Heartland Conference record to 11-5 and they moved into second place, ahead of St. Mary's (9-7 after losing 3-of-4 games at home to St. Edward's '8-8') and are a game (1.0) back of Arkansas - Fort Smith (10-4), who split a Saturday doubleheader with Rogers State. UAFS and RSU complete their four-game series Sunday with a doubleheader.
The Chaps head to Claremore, Okla. next week for a four-game conference series at Rogers State. The series is the first leg of an eight-game road trip.
INSIDE THE SERIES WITH TAMIU
.615 | The Chaps were able to get their leadoff batter aboard base .615 of the time in the four-game series (16/26).
Scotland Church,
James Hardberger and
Andres Negron combined to go 6-for-6 reaching base in leadoff at-bats during the series.
.727 |
Andres Negron was 4-for-5 (.800) from the plate Saturday and completed the series hitting .727 (8-for-11) with a .769 on-base percentage.
1.20 | The Chaps starting pitching, which went the distance in all four-games at Hays Field, combined for a 1.20 ERA and held TAMIU to a .189 batting average in the series (LCU hit .415 in the four-game series).
6 |
Dillon Drury led LCU Saturday with six RBI and also had seven total bases.
7-1 | The Chaps and TAMIU met for eight games in the regular season (four were nonconference games in Laredo), with LCU going 7-1 in the season series. LCU hit 19 home runs against the Dustdevils this season. They also extended their all-time record to 16-3 against TAMIU and 10-0 at Hays Field against the Dustdevils.
10-2 | LCU was .342 in two-out at-bats for a 10-2 scoring advantage in the four-game series in two-out RBI production.
Scotland Church had four two-out RBI off five two-out base hits in the series.
11 |
Scotland Church led LCU with 11 hits in the series, going .688 at the plate in the four games (11-for-16). He co-led LCU in the four-game set with two home runs and seven RBI.
22 | LCU had 22 extra-base hits in the series (TAMIU had three), with 11 doubles and a 9-0 advantage in home runs.
Ryan Rogers (three doubles and a triple) and
Andrew Pratt (three doubles and a home run) co-led the squad in extra-base hits. Seven different Chaps had at least one home run in the series, with
Keaton Greenwalt and Church each with two in the four-game series.
31 | LCU had a 31-9 advantage in hits with runners on base, going .413 as a team in the category for the four-game series.
