OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (May 13, 2021) – No.7-seeded Lubbock Christian University was unable to take advantage of 10 walked batters, as they stranded 12 runners and fell in the First Round of the Lone Star Conference Championships with a 5-3 loss to No.10-seeded St. Edward's at Tom Heath Field on the campus of Oklahoma Christian.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: SEU 5, LCU 3  
Records: LCU (29-17), SEU (17-20)
Location: Oklahoma City, Okla. (Tom Heath Field)
Time of Game: 1:52               
Weather: 67-sunny, W-calm

LCU Highlights:

• Skylar Herrera 2-for-3 with two RBI
• Athena Muniz 0-for-1 with two walks and a RBI
• Angela Donaldson 1-for-2

Turning Point:
LCU had an opportunity to overcome challenges in the bottom of the seventh inning, as they had two runners in scoring position (tying run at second base) with one out, but a pop-up by Kamryn Gibbs and a strikeout by Alexa Riggs ended the game and the season for the Lady Chaps.

How it Happened:

• LCU's defense had a rough start, as a pair of errors leading to a pair of unearned runs for the Hilltoppers in the top of the first inning.
• The Lady Chaps had a chance to respond in the bottom half of the inning, as SEU pitchers walked three batters and plunked Athena Muniz for a RBI. SEU pitcher Lauren Jaresh, who relieved McKenna Leamon after 0.1 innings, was able to strikeout Alivia Villarreal and Angela Donaldson to end the threat.
• SEU regained the lead in the top of the third inning, as Lauren Werning hit a two-out double that left fielder Kamryn Gibbs was unable to hold onto during a tremendous diving attempt. The double scored a pair of runs to give SEU a 4-3 lead.
• The Hilltoppers added to the lead in the top of the fifth inning. A leadoff single by Genisa Marrero-Carter was followed by stolen base and a wild pitch, leading to a sacrifice fly and a 5-3 advantage.
• Muniz and Alivia Villarreal led off the bottom of the seventh inning with walks, and they were moved over by a sacrifice bunt from Angela Donaldson. LCU was unable to advance the runners any further, as Gibbs and Riggs were retired to end the game

 
Inside the Numbers:

• LCU's plate appearances led to a combined 20 decisions in which a ball was not put into play, as LCU struck out eight times (second most on the season), they were hit by two pitches and walked a season-high 10 times. The combination of at-bat results is the highest in program history. The last time LCU had obtained 10 or more walks was April 14, 2018 against Oklahoma Christian. While LCU walked 10 times, LCU pitchers Dakota Stotyn and Taylor Franco did not issue a walk. Stotyn ended the season with seven walks allowed in 95.1 innings pitched on the year.
• Herrera's inside the park home run, which was a ball that hit off the top of the wall, was her team co-leading eighth home run of the season and her 12^th of her career. It was the team's 45^th home run of the season.
• The homer by Herrera was LCU's only hit with runners in scoring position, as LCU was 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Herrera also was 2-for-3 with runners on base, hitting LCU's only two hits with runners on (LCU 2-for-19 with runners on base). LCU's lack of production with runners on base led to 12 runners stranded.
• The game was LCU's first Lone Star Conference Championships (tournament) game in program history, placing them 0-1 all-time in the event. LCU went 10-5 in Heartland Conference Championship (tournament) games all-time.
• LCU drops to 19-8 all-time to SEU and the game was their first ever meeting in a conference tournament.
• The Lady Chaps season closes with an overall record of 29-17.
• LCU concludes the season hitting .334 as a team, with a 1.94 ERA (third lowest single-season ERA in program history). LCU also had a walks per seven innings rate of 1.53, which is a single-season best in program history.

 
WHAT'S NEXT
The loss marks the end of the 2021 season for LCU. They will now focus towards the 2022 season, which will get underway in February of 2022.