LUBBOCK, Texas (April 30, 2021) – Lubbock Christian University built an early 5-2 lead and was up on UT Tyler until the sixth inning before they fell behind in a series-opening, 10-8 loss on Friday night at Hays Field.
 
The Chaps (16-19, 14-17) actually out-hit the Patriots 11 to 9 in the loss, batting .333 to UTT's .257, but they struggled to hit with runners on base. It was LCU's fifth loss of the year when outhitting their opponent.
 
Armando Valle got the game one start again for the Chaps and gave up a pair of first inning runs before settling in. By the time he got back on the mound in the top of the second, he had a lead, thanks to the three runs scored by LCU's offense in the bottom of the first.
 
Edgar Hernandez led things off on a double on the first pitch from Nick Niebur, and the Chaps quickly loaded the bases for Mason Donohoe thanks to a hit-by-pitch and a walk. Donohoe ripped a single through the right side to plate the first two runs and then Larry Leitha scored on a balk to give LCU the lead.
 
Valle followed with four straight scoreless innings, while his offense added single runs in the second and the fourth innings. Nolan Machibroda scored in the second, reaching on a single and eventually scoring on a Leitha single. In the fourth, Hernandez and George Mendazona singled to start the inning, and the former scored on a sacrifice fly from Luis Navarro.
 
The Patriot finally broke through again in the top of the sixth, scoring a pair of runs with two outs to get Valle out of the game and close the gap to 5-4.
 
Lubbock Christian plated another run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single from Navarro, but it was not enough. The bottom of the seventh saw UTT get a walk and a single off reliever Logan Ellis with one out. He struck out the next batter, but Lukas Polanco homered with two outs, driving in three runs and putting the Patriots back on top.
 
UT Tyler added two insurance runs in the top of the eighth to increase their lead to 9-7. In the bottom of the eighth, LCU got one back on a home run blasted by Machibroda, but the Patriots plated another run in the ninth.
 
Down to their last at-bat, LCU did show some life, putting two runners on with two outs and scoring a run on an RBI single from Caden Hensley, but a groundout from Garrett Maas ended the threat and secured the UT Tyler win.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
26 | With his RBI single in the sixth inning, LCU catcher Luis Navarro has now hit safely in 26 consecutive games
6 | Of the 10 runs the Patriots scored in the game, six came with two outs, including the three-run home run to take the lead and the two insurance runs scored in the eighth
.556 | Chap leadoff batters reached at a .556 clip for the game. They were on base in each of the first five innings, but none of the last four
7 | Matthew McMillian closed out the game on the mound for the Patriots, notching his seventh save of the season, despite giving up one run
11.78 | With eight more strikeouts in his 5.2 innings of work, Armando Valle is up to 82 for the season. He is averaging 11.78 strikeouts per nine innings, which is the second-highest rate by a Chap pitcher in the last 12 years, behind only Mike Marshall's rate of 12.07 during the 2011 season
 
NEXT UP
Lubbock Christian will look to even the series with a game two win at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Hays Field.