CLAREMORE, Okla. (April 20, 2018) – No.13 Lubbock Christian University bounced back from a pair of Thursday losses with a doubleheader sweep Friday, defeating Rogers State University 6-2 and 4-0 with a pair of complete game pitching performances to split their four-game Heartland Conference series at Diamond Sports Complex.
 
Ryan Johnson and Daniel Crooks completed the task Friday, giving LCU complete game pitching performances in six of their last eight games. Johnson's complete game was his team co-leading fourth and Crooks' performance marked his second complete game of the season and the first complete game shutout of his LCU career.
 
Both teams produced a run in the opening game's first inning and the score remained 1-1 until the top of the fourth inning. Ryan Rogers led off the inning with a walk and Dillon Drury followed with a single to get the Chaps first two batters in the inning aboard base. Andres Negron and Keaton Greenwalt each hit a RBI-single in the inning and LCU led 3-1. Drury struck again in the fifth inning, recording his second RBI single of the game and it led to a two-run inning and a 5-1 LCU lead. Greenwalt led off the sixth inning with a double and it setup an insurance run for a 6-1 LCU advantage.
 
Johnson (6-3) held RSU to four hits in the complete game 7.0 inning performance. He did walk seven batters, but responded by holding the Hillcats to a 2-for-13 (.154) mark with a runner on base. He endured a sequence midway through the game in which he did not allow a hit to 13 consecutive batters faced. Tim Luce was saddled with the loss on the mound for RSU (3-7). He allowed five runs off eight hits in 4.2 innings.
 
Logan Nethercot was 3-for-4 in the game to lead LCU in hits. Drury (2-for-3), Greenwalt (2-for-3) and Andrew Pratt (2-for-4) also contributed for multi-hit performances in the opening game.                                                                                       
 
In the second game, RSU had an opportunity to strike first, with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. Crooks single-handedly got the Chaps out of the jam with consecutive strikeouts to end the inning. The Chaps fed off the strikeouts in the next half inning, as LCU manufactured a two-out rally. With two outs and the bases empty, Nethercot and Church each produced a hit and Pratt followed with a walk to load the bases. The first pitch to Rogers was sent down the left field line and over the foul pole resulting in a grand slam. The slam was the third grand slam by the Chaps this season and the second by Rogers.
 
Crooks claimed the win (4-3), striking out eight batters and allowing four hits in 9.0 shutout innings. The senior was 8-for-9 in keeping the leadoff batter off base and held the Hillcats into a 0-for-7 performance at the plate with runners on base.
 
The loss went to Spencer Bivens, whose only mistake was the slam allowed to Rogers. He went 6.2 innings and allowed four runs off seven hits to fall to 6-4 on the season.
 
Rogers, who hit his ninth home run of the season, finished the game 2-for-4 with four RBI. Pratt (2-for-4) and Church (2-for-5) also had multi-hit games. RSU was held to four hits and two were infield singles.
 
The Chaps doubleheader split improved LCU to 28-14 overall and 13-7 in the Heartland Conference, while RSU fell to 22-20 overall and 8-12 in conference. LCU heads to Austin next week to play St. Edward's in a four-game conference series.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.200 | Thursday, RSU hit .500 with runners in scoring position, but Friday they were 2-for-10 (.200) in the category. LCU was 6-for-14 (.429) Friday in the category.
.455 | Dillon Drury led LCU in the series with a 5-for-11 (.455) mark in the series against RSU.
7 | The Chaps (3-for-3) and Hillcats (4-for-4) combined to go 7-for-7 in stolen base attempts in the series.
13-2 | The Hillcats had a 13-2 advantage in the series in at-bats with the bases loaded
22-5 | LCU's pitching produced 22 walks, while RSU's staff produced five in the four-game series.