SAN ANGELO, Texas (May 21, 2021) – Lubbock Christian kept their 2021 season alive while ending it for two other teams, as they beat St. Edward's 19-9 and St. Mary's 12-6 at Foster Field on Friday.
 
The Chaps (23-23) will now advance to Lone Star Conference Championship Saturday, where they will need to take down host and No. 2-seed Angelo State twice to claim the league's crown.
 
GAME ONE
It was one big inning in both games that allowed the Chaps to pull away and secure their wins, but that inning in the first game of the day did not come until very late. St. Edward's took the first lead of the day, scoring three in the first and one in the second.
 
Colin Gordon brought the game back to even in the top of the third, going opposite field for a grand slam. It was the fourth LCU grand slam of the season.
 
SEU pushed their lead back out to four runs in the fourth inning with four unearned runs off Chap reliever Cade Acrey. LCU fought back though, scoring three times in the fifth, once on a Larry Leitha home run, to pull back within a run.
 
Lubbock Christian took the lead in the seventh, as Luis Navarro singled home two runs to put them up 9-8.
 
The big inning came in the eighth, when Gordon started things off with a solo shot and Nolan Machibroda followed with one of his own. Navarro, Mason Donohoe and Machibroda again, also homered in the inning, and Eduardo Acosta drove in a run with a double. By the time the frame ended, LCU had scored 10 runs and was up 19-8.
 
St. Edward's scored a meaningless run in the ninth before Steven Dennis closed out the win.
 
GAME TWO
Coming back in the nightcap to take on St. Mary's, who had lost to Angelo State right before taking on the Chaps, LCU sent Tyler Hardwick to the mound to start the game. The righty was excellent, setting a new career high with six and a third innings of work. He allowed four earned runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out three.
 
Hardwick put up zeroes in the first and second and the Chaps, playing for the home team for the first time in the tournament, pushed across their first run in the bottom of the second on a Machibroda single.
 
The big inning was early in the night game, as LCU broke through for eight runs in the third. Acosta led things off with a single, followed by a walk to George Mendazona. Navarro doubled in the first run of the frame, and Leitha followed with a two-RBI double of his own. A couple of Rattler miscues kept the inning going, allowing the Chaps extra chances, which they took advantage of when Hensley homered to drive in himself and Machibroda.
 
Playing with a big lead, the Chaps were able to comfortably weather StMU's offense, which got one run in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. LCU did add insurance runs to keep St. Mary's at a safe distance, scratching runs in the fourth, seventh and eighth frames.
 
When Hardwick left the mound, he gave the ball to Logan Ellis, who closed out the game to help Lubbock Christian save remaining arms for Saturday. The freshman got all of his eight outs on the ground, allowing just one run on four hits.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.909 | In the two games combined, LCU shortstop Colin Gordon reached base in all but one of his plate appearances for an on-base percentage of .909. He had five hits (two homers, one double) and five walks
5 | LCU's five home runs in the eighth inning of the game against St. Edward's matched the program record for four-baggers in one frame. Gene Taylor, David Coleman, Brad Holcomb and Britt Bonneau combined to club five homers in an inning in 1991
.500 | At 23-23, the Chaps are .500 for the first time since the sixth game of the season, when after beating UAFS, they were 3-3
71 | With eight home runs on the day, LCU has now hit 71 this season, which is their most in a year since 2013 when they clubbed 74
14 | With his solo home run, Larry Leitha now has 14 for the season. It is the most in a single season by a Chap since Brett Kauten hit 19 in 2013
 
NEXT UP
Lubbock Christian will take on host Angelo State Saturday with the first game beginning at 1 p.m.