LUBBOCK, Texas (May 7, 2021) – A game between the top two homering teams in the Lone Star Conference featured six total but ended with Lubbock Christian on the wrong end of a 11-7 loss to Oklahoma Christian on Friday night at Hays Field.
 
LCU had the first two homers of the game, both of which came in the first inning after Armando Valle sat OC down in order in the top of the first. George Mendazona came up with one out and hit an opposite field homer that just snuck inside the left field foul pole. One walk to Luis Navarro later, Larry Leitha also homered, driving the ball over the wall in left center to give the Chaps an early 3-0 lead.
 
The Eagles fought back in the top of the second with two runs and loaded the bases against Valle, but the lefty escaped the jam with LCU still on top with a strikeout and a lineout.
 
OC tied the game up and loaded the bases once again in the top of the third, but another strikeout ended the threat. Valle ended the day with three total strikeouts but struggled with his command, walking six. He gave up the lead in the top of the fourth, loading the bases once again. Owen Woodward then came out of the bullpen, but one run came in on a wild pitch and another scored on a groundout.
 
LCU got one run back in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run from Edgar Hernandez, who smashed one over the left field wall.
 
Both teams went down in order in the fifth, but OC score a pair in the sixth, getting their first home run of the game from right fielder Blake Empkey. Hernandez drove in a run with a groundout in the bottom of the sixth, but Oklahoma Christian got more runs with two-run homers in the eighth and ninth innings.
 
The Chaps tried to rally in the bottom the ninth, loading the bases with a single, a double and a hit-by-pitch. Then with two out, Caden Hensley looked to have cleared the bases with a home run to left field, but it was ruled a double off the top of the wall and just scored two runs. A strikeout from Colin Gordon ended the rally and the game.
 
Lubbock Christian falls to 17-21 with the los and is now 15-19 in Lone Star Conference play.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.222 | Lubbock Christian put just two leadoff batters on in their nine chances during the game for a .222 on-base percentage
29 | Luis Navarro had an infield single and a double in the loss, stretching his hitting streak to 29 straight games
.381 | Eduardo Acosta returned to the lineup for the first time since April 17 and had two singles in five at-bats, raising his batting average to .381
62 | OC's three home runs in the game increase their season total to 62, which leads the Lone Star Conference. The Chaps now have 44 on the year, which is the second-most in the league
8 | Gabe Rodery got the win with seven innings of eight-hit ball, earning his eighth win against no losses
 
NEXT UP
Lubbock Christian will try and even up the series at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Hays Field.