AUSTIN, Texas (March 28, 2021) – Lubbock Christian University out-hit St. Edward's 10-9 in Sunday's rubber game, but couldn't turn those hits into runs, losing 7-2 at Lucian-Hamilton Field.
 
The Chaps fell to 8-13 with the loss and are now 7-11 in Lone Star Conference play, while the Hilltoppers improved to 7-12 on the year and 7-11 in league competition.
 
Armando Valle started the game on the mound for LCU and got through the first two innings scot-free, thanks in part to George Mendazona cutting down an SEU runner at the plate in the bottom of the second. In the third inning, though, the Hilltoppers finally broke through after a leadoff single, a sacrifice bunt and a double. Before the frame ended, St. Edward's led by three.
 
In the fourth, SEU added three more runs, chasing Valle for the game for Tyler Hardwick, who finally got out of the inning by inducing a double play. Hardwick went on to have a solid relief outing, closing out the final four and two thirds innings of the game while allowing just one earned run on two hits and striking out four.
 
LCU continued to put runners on base in the fifth and sixth innings before finally plating their first run in the top of the seventh. Garrett Maas walked with one out and advance to second on an Eduardo Acosta single and to third on a single by Luis Navarro. Colin Gordon then worked a walk to push the run across, but Mendazona flied out to end the rally chance.
 
St. Edward's got the run back in the bottom half of the seventh to regain the six-run lead. Lubbock Christian then plated the final run of the game in the top of the eighth when Caden Hensley was hit by a pitch with two outs, stole second and scored on a single by Maas.
 
Godon had a two-out single in the ninth, but the Chaps were unable to score him or any other runs before the game ended.
 
INSIDE THE NUBMERS
18 | Luis Navarro caught another would-be base-stealer in the bottom of the eighth, giving him 18 this season, which leads the Lone Star Conference
.482 | LCU's leadoff batter reached in four of the nine innings on Sunday, giving them a leadoff on-base percentage of .483 for the three-game series
4 | The Chaps' four errors matched their single-game high for this season. They also made four errors on March 5 against Angelo State
2.51 | With just four earned runs allowed in 14.1 innings of work over the weekend, the LCU bullpen posted an ERA of 2.51 against SEU
10 | Although he was only in the starting lineup for the last two games of the series, Edgar Hernandez led the Chaps with 10 total bases on the weekend
 
NEXT UP
The Chaps will now return home to host LSC-leading West Texas A&M for a three-game series at Hays Field. Due to Easter on Sunday, the series will begin on Thursday, with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m.