LUBBOCK, Texas (March 21, 2021) – Lubbock Christian University kept pace with Texas A&M-Kingsville for most of Sunday's series finale but fell behind late, losing 10-5 at Hays Field.
 
The loss moved the Chaps to 7-11 on the year and 6-9 in Lone Star Conference play while the Javelinas improved to 11-4 both overall and in league action.
 
Scoring started early and came often for both teams in the contest, as TAMUK plated a run in the first. Facing Chaparral starting pitcher Armando Valle, the first two batters reached with a single and a walk and then the bases were loaded on an error. A fielder's choice plated the game's first run, but Valle struck out back-to-back batters to escape with no further damage.
 
LCU got the run back in the bottom of the frame after Mason Donohoe led off with a single, advanced to second when George Mendazona walked and then scored on a single by Machibroda.
 
Kholl Ullman hit his first of two home runs on the day in the top of the third to give the Javelinas the lead again, but the Chaps came back with a response in the bottom of the inning. Colin Gordon and Luis Navarro opened with singles and both scored on a double from Donohoe to give the Chaps the lead.
 
They held it for the fourth inning, when neither team scored, but Ullman's second home run in the fifth tied things up again, and TAMUK plated another run in the inning to go back on top.
 
Lubbock Christian tied the game again in the bottom of the fifth. Navarro hit a leadoff single and advance all the way to third on one wild pitch before scoring on a Mendazona double that made the scored 4-4.
 
Valle was finally pushed from the game in the sixth after he gave up back-to-back singles to lead things off, but the rally had already started and Texas A&M-Kingsville plated two runs before reliever Peyton Hutson got out of it by inducing a fly out.
 
It seemed as though the Chaps would come back again in the bottom of the sixth, and Grant Griffin pulled them back within one by hitting a rocket out of the ballpark for his third home run of the year. But that would be the final run they scored on the day.
 
LCU put one runner on base in both the seventh and eighth innings but were unable to push either across. Then in the top of the ninth, TAMUK broke things open. The inning started with two singles and a walk, bringing on reliever Logan Ellis for his first collegiate appearance. Ellis got two outs with just one run in, but a single and a double at that point opened the lead up to five runs, which they held through the bottom of the ninth.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.586 | Texas A&M-Kingsville had its leadoff batter reach in seven of the nine innings of Sunday's game, and they got on base at a .586 clip throughout the weekend
2 | Despite the 10 runs, the Javelinas only had two hits with runners in scoring position (2-20) all day and they both came in the ninth inning. They left 13 runners on base in the game and hit just .146 with RISP for the weekend
.410 | LCU third basemen George Mendazona reached base in all four of his trips to the plate on Sunday (two walks, one double, one hit-by-pitch), raising his on-base percentage to .410
34 | Armando Valle already led the team in strikeouts and he added seven more Sunday, bringing his season total to 34
.186 | The Chaps got just eight hits in the 43 at-bats combined against left-handed TAMUK pitchers for a .186 weekend average. Their season average against lefties is .265
 
NEXT UP
The Chaps will be on the road next weekend, taking on St. Edward's in three games at Lucian Hamilton Field in Austin, Texas.