SAN ANTONIO, Texas (May 3, 2018) – The No. 3-seed Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparrals lost their opening game of the 2018 Heartland Conference Tournament 3-2 to No. 2-seed Oklahoma Christian in 10 innings, then fell to No. 4-seed Texas A&M International Thursday night in an elimination game 8-2 to close out their 2018 season at The Park on the campus of St. Mary's University in San Antonio.
 
FREE SOFTBALL
In the opener, the Lady Chaps (31-17) scored a run in the first inning to open the game, with KK Lopez-Liu driving in Courtney Medina. Oklahoma Christian plated a run in the third to tie the game. LCU answered with a run in the top of the fourth inning, as K'leigh Arredondo drove a ball up the middle to bring in Sydney Beuthien, which put the Lady Chaps on top once again. An inning later in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Lady Eagles scored to tie the game again. The game remained tied the next four innings and the winning run was scored in the bottom of the 10^th, with Kaylie Upton reaching on an error. The Lady Eagles win marked LCU's fourth consecutive walk-off loss at The Park.
 
IN THE CIRCLE
Monique Francois started the game in the circle for Lubbock Christian, pitching 5.1 innings and allowing two runs off five hits and striking out five Lady Eagles. She gave way to Taylor Hinojos (3-5), who threw the final four innings in relief for the Lady Chaps and allowed one run off two hits to suffer her fifth loss of the year. Kaylie Upton got the start for OC, throwing the first 5.1 innings and giving up two runs off seven hits before Madison Nordyke (6-7) came in to pitch the final 4.2 innings in relief. Nordyke allowed one hit while striking out seven to earn her sixth victory of the season.
 
ELIMINATION GAME
Texas A&M International (25-33) scored a run in the first inning of the Thursday night elimination game, then added three more runs in the third inning to take a 4-0 lead. The Lady Chaps managed to get a run across in the bottom of the third inning with Morgan Dufour hitting a sacrifice fly to bring home Averi Miller. The Dustdevils plated another run in the fourth and fifth innings to go up 6-1 before LCU pushed a run across in the sixth inning when Annika Schwartzenberg drove in Sara Ralston. TAMIU added two insurance runs in the seventh and the Lady Chaps were unable to answer.
 
IN THE CIRCLE
Hinojos (3-6) got the start in the nightcap for LCU, pitching 3.2 innings and allowing five runs off eight hits to suffer her sixth loss of 2018. Francois threw the final 3.1 innings in relief for the Lady Chaps. She surrendered three runs on six hits. Sara Caterson (3-5) was victorious for the third time this season with a complete game effort giving up two runs off three hits.
 
2018
The loss in the elimination game brings an end to the 2018 season for the Lady Chaps. It is their third season of postseason eligibility and LCU was making their third trip to the Heartland Conference Tournament, but this season will mark the first season in which they did not win the tournament and the first in which they have not qualified for NCAA postseason play. The Lady Chaps led the league with seven players named to the All-Heartland Conference Team, which included the 2018 Heartland Conference Player of the Year Lindzi Clemmer. The squad will lose seven senior members, meaning the team will have several holes to fill. They will have six returning starters to give Lubbock Christian experience going into the 2019 season.