LUBBOCK, Texas (April 10, 2021) – Junior catcher Luis Navarro was 10-for-11 with 16 total bases, eight RBI and five runs scored across the two games on Saturday, and he wasn't the only Lubbock Christian University player with a good day as the Chaps blasted Eastern New Mexico 17-2 and 18-6 at Hays Field.
 
The pair of wins gave LCU its first series sweep of the season, improving them to 11-16 on the season and 10-14 in Lone Star Conference play. It is the first time the Chaps have won three straight games since Feb. 29-March 1, 2020, when they took down Texas A&M International in three games.
 
GAME ONE
The offense set the tone for the day in the first inning of the first game, scoring five runs to take an early lead. Eduardo Acosta started the frame with a double and scored on a triple by Navarro. Then George Mendazona homered for the fourth time this season. A double by Colin Gordon and a walk from Nolan Machibroda put another two on and they both came around to score on a double by Trevor Andrus before ENMU finally got out of the inning.
 
Despite more baserunners, the Chaps did not score again until the fifth inning. Meanwhile, though, Owen Woodward was dealing on the mound for LCU. Making his first collegiate start, the Breckenridge, Texas native allowed just two hits through the first four frames and kept the Greyhounds scoreless.
 
Lubbock Christian broke through again in the bottom of the fifth and ended up hanging another crooked number. Gordon and Machibroda were both hit by pitches to start the frame and then Andrus walked to load the bases. One run came in on a sacrifice fly, but Hensley walked to load them up again. Navarro was the next batter, and he hit a rocket out of the ballpark for his team-leading sixth home run and LCU's second grand slam of the season. LCU still wasn't done in the frame, adding one final run in the frame on an Edgar Hernandez walk and a Mendazona double to lead 11-0.
 
ENMU got their only two runs of the game on a home run from Nicholas Tamez in the sixth and Woodward was subsequently removed from the game for Logan Ellis, who closed out the game on the mound.
 
LCU responded in a big way in the sixth, batting around for the second-straight inning and adding another six runs. They used five singles and three walks to push all the runs across.
 
Ellis sat the Greyhounds down in order in the seventh and the game ended on the conference run-rule.
 
GAME TWO
The start went to Tyler Hardwick for the Chaps in the second game and he got through the first inning unscathed but gave up a run in the second inning as the Greyhounds took their first lead of the series.
 
The Chaps took the lead back in the bottom half of the second with three runs. Machibroda started things off with a double and Jaxson Edwards was hit by a pitch with one out. They both advanced to scoring position on a passed ball and Grant Griffin tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Acosta then drove in a run with a double down the left field line and scored himself on a single from Mendazona.
 
ENMU see-sawed back in front in the top of the third after a couple of singles and a home run from Andres Quintana.
 
Hardwick hit a batter to start the fourth and was replaced by Peyton Hutson, who had a great relief outing. He allowed just two hits while spending a career-high four innings on the mound and striking out a career-high seven batters.
 
With Hutson pitching well, the Chap offense finally gave him a lead to work with in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to Andrus, who basted a two-run home run with Caden Hensley on base for a one-run lead.
 
The Chaps added two insurance runs in the sixth off ENMU reliever Damian Acosta, as Nolan Machibroda hit a two-out single with the bases loaded. They plated five more runs in the seventh, thanks in part to two error on one play by the Greyhounds, allowing Eduardo Acosta to score on what was supposed to be a sacrifice bunt.
 
Eastern New Mexico got two final runs in the top of the eighth to pull back within six, but the LCU offense kept on coming in the bottom of the inning.
 
Edward's had a one-out double for his first collegiate hit and Griffin followed with his own double to plate Edwards. Acosta then singled to plate another run and scored himself on a Navarro single up the middle. Gordon was hit by a pitch to bring Hensley to the plate. The Chaps only needed to get three more outs from the Greyhounds in the ninth to secure the win, but Hensley decided even that wouldn't be necessary, crushing a three-run home run – his first of the season – to give LCU another run-rule win.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
5 | Luis Navarro matched the program record for hits in a single game with five in both ends of the doubleheader. The feat has now been accomplished 33 times in LCU baseball history
3 | Freshman catcher Jaxson Edwards – making just his second start of the season – was hit by three pitches, which is the most by a Chap in a single game since Brent Leslie was hit by three against Arizona Christian on April 2, 2011
.786 | LCU leadoff batters reached in 11 of the 14 innings on Saturday, posting a leadoff on-base percentage of .786
60 | The Chaps collected 60 total bases in the two games combined, hitting 10 doubles, two triples and four home runs on the day
43 | Lubbock Christian scored 43 runs total in the three games against Eastern New Mexico
 
NEXT UP
The Chaparrals will be at home again next week, starting a three-game series against Cameron at 6 p.m. on Friday night at Hays Field.