AUSTIN, Texas (March 9, 2019) – It took more than nine innings to get it done, but Lubbock Christian University took the series finale against St. Edward's 8-7 on Sunday afternoon, winning three out of four games overall for their second straight series win.
 
The Chaps (13-7) used a different starting lineup in the finale against the Hilltoppers (11-10), with Will Clark getting just his third start of the year and his second at designated hitter, while Peyton Maddox made his first ever start at LCU, playing second base. Even though he was batting in the ninth spot in the order, Maddox made an impact almost immediately. S
 
SEU got an early 1-0 lead with a run in the first inning, but the Chaps got it back in the top half of the second as Keaton Greenwalt led off with a double. Two outs later, Maddox came to the plate in just his eighth at0-bat of the season. He used it to single through the right side, scoring Greenwalt and tying the game.
 
In the top of the third, LCU was able to take hold of the lead, and they would not trail the rest of the game. The first two batters in Braden Hayward and Hill Alexander reached base. Hayward eventually came around to score as an unearned run. St. Edward's got the run back in the bottom half of the third inning, but LCU see-sawed right back in front with three runs in the fourth.
 
The three runs the Chaps scored in the fourth came off the bat of Braden Hayward, who smacked his fifth home run of the season, scoring himself Maddox and Clark. It was Hayward's fifth home run of the season, tying him for the second most on the team. He had four RBI on the day, marking the first time this season he has driven in that many runs in a game.
 
Greenwalt again led off in the sixth inning and singled up the middle for his second hit of the day and start another run-scoring effort. One batter later, Clark came to the plate and got his second hit of the day as well, doubling to right field and driving in Greenwalt. Maddox then drove in his second run of the game on a fielder's choice after Clark advanced to third on a passed ball. Maddox was the final Chap to score in the inning, coming in on a fielder's choice from Hayward.
 
SEU eventually got the runs back, starting with a three-run home run in the sixth inning, but still trailed by one coming into their last at-bat in the ninth. The Hilltoppers led off the inning with a double and a walk before Logan McCrummen came in on the mound for LCU. The Chaps got the lead runner out at third for the first out and then induced a flyout. With the next batter, Zach Shephard, down 0-2, the Chaps seemed to have the game in hand, but Shephard doubled home a run and forced extra innings.
 
LCU wasted little time getting the lead back in the tenth, however, as Chase Whetsel hit a one-out double and Hayward followed with a double of his own to score the go-ahead run. Freshman Cody Lancaster came in to pitch the ninth, forcing two flyouts before striking out the final batter of the game to earn the first save of his young career.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
8 | Lubbock Christian pounded out eight home runs in the series to just one for the Hilltoppers
.315 | Both teams hit exactly .315 against right-handed pitching in the four games, with LCU's advantage lying in its left-handed pitching, which held SEU to just a .226 batting average
11 | St. Edward's recorded 11 two-out RBI in the series compared to eight for Lubbock Christian
4 | Four different Chaps hit at least two home runs in the series, including James Hardberger, Hill Alexander, Braden Hayward and Andrew Pratt. LCU leads the Heartland Conference with 29 home runs
13- _| Both teams had 13 hits with runners in scoring position, but the Hilltoppers hit at a much better average of .333