SAN ANTONIO, Texas (February 21, 2021) – Lubbock Christian University allowed first inning runs in both games of Sunday's doubleheader, falling 7-2 and 7-4 against host St. Mary's at Dickson Stadium.
 
The Rattlers hit .295 on the day, including eight extra-base hits, to push across their 14 total runs, dropping the Chaps to 3-5 on the season and 2-3 in Lone Star Conference play.
 
GAME ONE
Ty Stephenson was on the mound in the first game of the day, coming off a stellar outing against Arkansas-Fort Smith, but not having pitched in a live game in more than two weeks. The time off did not seem to benefit him, as St. Mary's jumped on him for three runs n the first inning.
 
The Rattlers added in another run in the second on a double steal and scored two more runs in the third inning, which ended up being Stephenson's last. All six runs scored by StMU off the Chaparral starting pitcher came with two outs.
 
Lubbock Christian got their first baserunner in the fourth inning on a walk by Colin Gordon, but they did not record their first hit until the sixth when Larry Leitha singled. Luis Navarro added another single a batter later to score the Chaps' first run of the day, but a strikeout ended the rally threat.
 
It was Owen Woodward who came on in relief of Stephenson on the mound, and the freshman was the brightest spot of the game for LCU. In a career-high four innings of work, Woodward allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out five Rattler batters.
 
St. Mary's was eventually able to get the run back, scoring off Christian Garcia in the eighth.
 
LCU scored once in the ninth on a single from Cayde Ward, but their comeback effort was too late.
 
GAME TWO
The Rattlers again jumped out to an early lead again in the second game, albeit with just one first inning run this time off Chap starter Shandon Herrera. They added another run in the second as well before Herrera ended the threat by inducing a groundout.
 
His offense then came through and tied the game up at two apiece in the top of the third. Edgar Hernandez, making his first start of the season, tripled to start the inning, followed by a single from Leitha and a walk from Navarro. Nolan Machibroda then came through with a single to drive in two of the runners, but St. Mary's was able to escape without allowing the Chaps to take the lead.
 
Jake Mares blasted a leadoff homer in the third to retake the lead for StMU and they pushed across their fourth run of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning.
 
In the sixth inning, Lubbock Christian got those two runs back, again partly thanks to Hernandez. Eduardo Acosta singled and Jaxon Shirley doubled to put the pair in scoring position. Then with a 3-2 count, Hernandez slapped a single through the left side to tie the game.
 
Cannon Davis came on to relieve Herrera in the sixth and sat the Rattlers down in order. He then got the first two batters of the seventh out and looked to be cruising. But a walk, a double and another walk loaded the bases with two outs, and St. Mary's made him pay with a bases-clearing double from Mauro Bustamante that proved to be the difference in the win.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.278 | Lubbock Christian's leadoff batter reached base just five times in 18 opportunities through the first two games of the series
10 | St. Mary's hit .400 with two outs on the day, collecting 10 hits in 25 at-bats. Eight of the 14 runs the drove in also came with two outs
6 | The six runs allowed by LCU's game one starter Ty Stephenson marked just the second time in his Chaparral career that he has allowed more than four runs in a start
.288 | Although they led the league in slugging coming into the weekend, LCU collected just four extra-base hits on Sunday for a slugging percentage this series of just .288
7 | Luis Navarro reached base in both games, extending his team-leading reached base streak to seven games
 
NEXT UP
Lubbock Christian will look to salvage a win in the series on Monday as the two teams meet at 1 p.m. at Dickson Stadium.