FORT SMITH, Arkansas (February 6, 2021) – Lubbock Christian University's baseball team had tallied just two hits through the first six innings but erupted for five hits and five runs in the seventh inning, leading to a 6-1 victory over Arkansas-Fort Smith on Saturday.
 
The Chaps clinched the series two games to one with the win and moved to 3-3 on the year, while the Lions dropped to 2-4.
 
Neither team had much of an offensive showing through the first five innings, as starting pitchers Shandon Herrera and Trevor Johnson traded scoreless frames. Johnson walked a batter in the first inning, but Herrera was dominant from the beginning, sitting the Lions down in order in the first and notching a pair of strikeouts.
 
The Odessa would go on to match his career high with six total strikeouts across six innings pitched. He allowed just three hits and walked one batter.
 
Herrera had a no-hitter through five innings. The UAFS leadoff batter in the bottom of the sixth finally broke through with an infield single. The Lions bunted the runner over and pushed him to third with a flyout. They then ran the safety squeeze to perfection to push the run home and take a 1-0 lead.
 
Trailing for the first time all game, the LCU offense responded in a big way. With one out, Cayde Ward singled to start the rally. Caden Hensley came in to pinch run and scored two batters later on a fielding error to tie the game.
 
Mason Donohoe followed with a walk and the Chaps began to pile on, scoring the go-ahead run on a Larry Leitha single and adding three more before the Lions finally got out of the inning.
 
Cade Acrey relieved Herrera on the mound in the bottom of the seventh. LCU added a run while he was pitching, using a walk, a sacrifice bunt, a passed ball and a wild pitch in the ninth.
 
Koi Carrillo got the ball for the ninth and got two quick outs. The Lions then loaded the base with two hit batters and a single, but Carrillo induced a flyout to end the game.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
0 | Saturday's game was LCU's first game all season in which they did not hit a single home run
.636 | After not recording a hit at all at the Houston Winter Invitational, Chap catcher Luis Navarro led the team in batting on the weekend with seven hits in 11 at-bats for a .636 batting average
.345 | The Chaps had 29 at-bats with runners in scoring position during the weekend and had 10 hits to hit a solid .345 in those chances
6 | Nolan Machibroda, Grant Griffin and Colin Gordon have all three reached base in all six games so far this season
2.81 | With seven shutout innings from Ty Stephenson Friday and six scoreless from Shandon Herrera Saturday, LCU's starting pitchers had an ERA of 2.81 on the weekend
 
NEXT UP
The Chaps will return to Lubbock to take on Oklahoma Christian at 5 p.m. on Friday for their home-opener at Hays Field.