LUBBOCK, Texas (May 9, 2021) – Five Lubbock Christian University pitchers combined to allow no unearned runs from Oklahoma Christian on Sunday, allowing the Chaps to cruise to a 9-1, series-clinching win at Hays Field.
 
The only Eagle run came in the first off starting pitcher Shandon Herrera, as OC drew a couple of walks and loaded the bases on an error. Tanner White had the RBI with a groundout to first base and Herrera got a flyout to end the frame after that. The Chap starter would settle in nicely after that and ended up throwing 3.2 innings with one strikeout and only one hit allowed.
 
Jordan Kennedy had the only hit off Herrera and it came with one out in the second, but the next two batters were retired. The back-to-back outs sparked a string of 13 straight batters retired by the Chaparral moundsmen that did not end until the top of the sixth. Herrera retired the last four batters he faced before Logan McCrummen secured the last out of the fourth. Tyler Hardwick then came on and pitched a three-up, three-down fifth inning and got two outs in the sixth before surrendering a single to Coleton Hinkle.
 
While Lubbock Christian's pitchers were dominating, the offense had gone to work retaking the lead and building upon it. They tied the game in the bottom of the second when Eduardo Acosta led off with a triple and scored on a groundout. Then with two outs in the same inning, Nolan Machibroda doubled, Jaxon Edwards singled and Edgar Hernandez drove in the go-ahead run with a single of his own.
 
In the third, Acosta reached again, this time on an error, and scored when Colin Gordon tripled to right center.
 
The Chaps broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth with four runs, starting things off with a one-out single from George Mendazona. Luis Navarro was then hit by a pitch and Larry Leitha walked to load the bases. Acosta came through again, this time singling through the left side to drive in a run. Caden Hensley followed with his own single to drive in two runs. The final of the inning came in on a Gordon sacrifice fly.
 
Acosta singled again with two outs in the sixth and Hensley reached on an error, putting two in scoring position for Gordon. The Chap shortstop came through with a single, driving in the final two LCU runs of the day.
 
OC's best chance to score after the first inning came in the seventh. With Hardwick still on the mound, the inning began with a hit-by-pitch and a single. Hardwick responded by getting Kennedy to strike out before inducing a double play to end the threat.
 
Lubbock Christian went down in order in both the seventh and eighth, but so did the Eagles, as Koi Carrillo and Ivan Castro each pitched a scoreless frame to close out the win. Carrillo struck out one of his three batters while Castro struck out a pair.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.462 | LCU hit .462 with runners in scoring position (6-13) in the game, which is well above their season average of .296 in those situations
6 | Both Eduardo Acosta and Colin Gordon tripled in the game and the two are now tied atop the Lone Star Conference in that category
19 | Lubbock Christian ends the season with 19 wins, 11 of which came in their last 16 games of the season
.355 | The Chaps hit .355 for the weekend with a 727 slugging percentage and 80 total bases. Nolan Machibroda led the way with a .625 batting average and 12 total bases
6 | Shandon Herrera was named the winning pitcher in the game on what was a pre-determined bullpen day for the Chaps, making him 6-2 on the season
 
NEXT UP
Lubbock Christian is the No. 6 seed for the Lone Star Conference Tournament and will face No. 3 seed Texas A&M-Kingsville in the best-of-three, first-round series. The series will be at Nolan Ryan Field in Kingsville, Texas on May 14-15.