ODESSA, Texas (April 23, 2021) – Lubbock Christian University built an early lead but had it slip away late, eventually losing on a walkoff home run to UT Permian Basin on Friday at Roden Field.
 
It is the first loss in a series opener for the Chaps (14-18, 12-16) since April 1 when they dropped the first game against West Texas A&M.
 
LCU's offense was hot early, plating three runs before they ever had to play defense. All three runs came with two outs, as Luis Navarro started the scoring with a solo home run and the Chaps added two more on a walk a double and a single.
 
Armando Valle was on the hill for the Chaps and started the game in dominant fashion, striking out the side in the first. UT Permian Basin got on the board in the second though, scoring a run on two hits.
 
The teams traded runs in the third, with Lubbock Christian scoring on a sacrifice fly by Larry Leitha and UT Permian Basin pushing one across with a walk, a couple of singles and a wild pitch.
 
Caden Hensley drove in LCU's fifth run of the day with a sacrifice fly in the fourth before the Falcons' comeback began.
 
UTPB loaded the bases in the fourth before Valle wriggled out of the jam, but in the fifth they struck for three runs to tie the game. Then in the sixth, reliever Peyton Hutson came in and loaded the bases with a hit-by-pitch and two walks before walking in a run. Cade Acrey came in and got out of the jam, but not before the Falcons had a 7-5 lead.
 
Lubbock Christian knotted the game back up at 7-7 in the top of the seventh thanks to an infield single by Hensley, but Navarro struck out swinging with the bases loaded to end the Chap threat.
 
The Chaps had one final chance to go back on top in the ninth inning when Grant Griffin doubled with one out, but the Falcons escaped with no damage. Devin Ferrari had the big swing in the bottom of the ninth to win the game for UTPB.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
12 | LCU left 12 runners on base in the loss, which was their second-most in a single game this season. They were 2-for-13 in RBI opportunities
23 | Luis Navarro's first-inning homer gave him a hit in 23 straight games, which is the longest hitting streak by a Chap since Hunter McFall also hit in 23 straight in 2016
.403 | The Chaps put their leadoff batter on in four of the nine innings and are now reaching base at a .403 clip in leadoff opportunities
11 | Chap pitchers struck out a combined 11 batters, marking the ninth time this season they reached the double-digit strikeout mark
.927 | UTPB made three more errors I the game, dropping their already league-lowest fielding percentage to .972
 
NEXT UP
Lubbock Christian will try and bounce back to even the series on Saturday at 2 p.m.