LAREDO, Texas (February 29, 2020) – It was a day full of offense for Lubbock Christian, as they scored 17 runs combined in almost two complete games, winning the first end of the doubleheader and leading going into the seventh and final inning of the bottom half, which will be concluded at noon on Saturday.
 
The Chaps took the first game 9-2, scoring eight unanswered runs to move to 4-12 on the year. They were leading the second game 8-4 as well and looked poised to close it out for their second straight win with just one more inning to play, but the game had to be suspended until Sunday on account of darkness.
 
GAME ONE
LCU got on the board early in the first game, loading the bases with a pair of walks and a single in the first inning before Luis Navarro drove in a run with a fly ball to right field. The lead did not last long, as Chap starting pitcher Armando Valle gave up two runs in the bottom half of the inning, but the southpaw settled in nicely from there on out.
 
Valle ended up allowing just four hits and three walks through six and a third innings on the mound, while striking out eight Dustdevil batters, all on 116 pitches to earn the win. His offense tied the game back up in the second with a single from George Mendazona scoring Trevor Andrus. Lubbock Christian then took the lead in the top of the fifth, as Luis Navarro homered with Brandon Coronado on base (pinch-running for Jaxon Shirley). The Chaps never trailed the rest of the way.
 
In the seventh inning, LCU added on an insurance run and then some, scoring five runs in the inning. TAMIU changed pitchers to start the inning, but George Mendazona led off the inning with a home run anyways. The Chaps then walked the bases loaded before Andrus blasted a bases-clearing double. Gavy Perez-Torres scored the fifth and final run of the inning on a Grant Griffin single before the Dustdevils finally ended the threat.
 
Valle went back out to try and complete the game he started but ran into some trouble with a walk and a single, before TAMIU loaded the bases with one outs. Steven Dennis then came in to close the door, inducing a flyout and a getting a strikeout to end the game.
 
GAME TWO
Logan McCrummen got the start in game two, and the Chaps gave him an early lead as well, scoring three runs in the top of the second inning. Skyler Nelson started the rally with a walk, and three more LCU batters also walked before Texas A&M-International finally recorded an out, pushing one run across. Mendazona drove in another with a sacrifice fly, and Shirley singled in the third and final run of the inning.
 
TAMIU struck back with two runs in the bottom of the inning, but LCU stayed on top. The Chaps scored another two runs in the fourth, again using a pair of walks to start the rally. Larry Leitha drove in one of the runs and Navarro drove in another. The Dustdevils again struck back for two runs in the bottom half of the inning, keeping the deficit at just one run.
 
Shirley turned that one-run lead into a four run lead with one swing of the bat  in the top of the sixth. Andurs tripled to start the inning and Mendazona followed with a walk before Shirley crushed a home run to dead center field. It was his first of the season.
 
Cade Acery had come in to relieve McCrummen in the bottom of the fourth, getting the last out of that inning and keeping the Dustdevils scoreless in the fifth and the sixth as well, sending the game to its seventh and final inning, where it was suspended. When the game resumes, it will be Edgar Hernandez at the plate for LCU.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.156 | Chap outfielder Trevor Andrus went 3-3 with a walk and three RBI in game one of the doubleheader, raising his average from .071 to .227 – .156 point difference – in just one game
20 | LCU stole three bases on the day, giving them 20 for the year, which is just six less than they had in the entire 2019 season
.333 | Lubbock Christian was 8-24 on the day for a .333 average when batting with runners in scoring position
28 | The Andrus double with the bases loaded in game one was LCU's first hit with the bases loaded in 28 days – the last coming from AJ Perez in their 7-2 win over St. Edward's on Feb. 1
11.41 | After striking out eight batters in his six and a third innings of work, Armando Valle's strikeouts per nine innings is at 11.41 for the season
 
NEXT UP
At noon on Sunday, the Chaps and Dustdevils will take the field to complete the suspended game from Saturday. The fourth and final game of the series will start approximately 30 minutes after.