LUBBOCK, Texas (May 3, 2019) – Lubbock Christian University clinched its second Heartland Conference Regular Season Championship in program history on Friday night, sweeping a doubleheader with St. Mary's by scores of 3-1 and 7-1.
The Chaps (35-12, 16-5) finish with the best Heartland record for the third time since joining in 2014 and win their first regular season title since 2017.
GAME ONE
A pitcher's duel started the day, as LCU sent
Ryan Johnson to the mound and St. Mary's countered with Mason Minister. Both starters went the distance, with Johnson winning the duel 3-1 for his 13
th straight win this season. The victory broke a long-held Lubbock Christian program record of 12 consecutive wins by Steve Hunter in 1982. Hunter finished that season 16-2 overall. The senior threw his eighth complete game in the win, striking out four and scattering just three hits.
Johnson worked with a lead nearly the entire game, as the Chap offense got a run in the first inning.
Chase Whetsel,
Hill Alexander and
Andrew Pratt all singled to push across the game's opening run.
St. Mary's finally got the run back in the top of the fifth inning after Patrick Fennell singled and moved into scoring position on an error. The Rattlers used small ball to tie things up, advancing him on a ground ball before the run scored on a squeeze bunt.
The Chaps re-took the lead in the bottom of the sixth, after
Keaton Greenwalt and Pratt worked a pair of one-out walks. Greenwalt then came into score on high-bouncing single through the right side, and Pratt came in next on a sacrifice fly from
Andres Negron.
Johnson took advantage of the two-run lead and closed out the win with just one more hit allowed in the seventh inning.
GAME TWO
Rain and, more importantly, lightning in the area forced a delay before the start of game two, but when it finally started
Ricky Contreras took the mound for the Chaps and matched
Ryan Johnson almost pitch for pitch.
Contreras was also given an early lead to work with, as
Chase Whetsel led off the second inning with a solo shot over the right field wall. The homer was Whetsel's eighth of the season and his fifth when leading off an inning. The Chaps added another run in the third when
Andres Negron singled to drive in
Braden Hayward.
The Rattlers scored in the fifth inning of the second game as well, taking advantage of an error as Johnny Hernandez drove in Ryan McGown. Hernandez was then caught stealing by
Andrew Pratt and Contreras ended the inning by inducing a groundout to first base.
Pitching for probably the last time in front of the Chap home crowd, Contreras was the dominant pitcher LCU fans have watched for four years now, scattering eight hits over seven innings on the mound. The Lubbock native did not walk a single batter and matched his season high with eight strikeouts.
Callan Johnson came in to close out the game in the eighth, with the Chaps still leading by just two. He retired the side in order in the eighth, working in relief for the first time all season, and the LCU offense rewarded him with some insurance runs in the bottom of the inning.
Alexander started things off, singling and going all the way to third on an error. Pratt quickly drove him in, and then the Chaps loaded the bases with two outs on walks by Whetsel and
James Hardberger, and all three scored when Clark came to the plate and hit an opposite field double over the left fielder's head.
St. Mary's had one final chance to rally in the ninth and put a pair of runners on with an LCU error and a walk, but Johnson closed the door, earning the first save of his Lubbock Christian career.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
35 | With their 35
th win of the season, LCU has surpassed their season total from 2018
7.6 | In Johnson's first 12 starts of the season, the Chaps averaged 7.6 runs of support, but he the offense has scored just five times in his last two starts combined
16 | Although they won the second game, Lubbock Christian left a season-high 16 runners on base
5 | Chaps pounded out just five hits in the first game of the day, marking just their fewest hits in a win all year
23-6 | LCU scored first in both games and is now has a .793 (23-6) winning percentage in games which they get on the board first
NEXT UP
Lubbock Christian will play their regular season finale against these same Rattlers at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hays Field. Roughly 20 minutes prior to the game, the Chaps will recognize the 15 seniors on the team, who will be playing in front of the home crowd for the last time.
