OKLAHOMA CITY (February 13, 2022) – Lubbock Christian University put a bow on the weekend series with Oklahoma Christian on Sunday, wrapping up the four-game sweep with a 7-2 win at Wendell Simmons Field.
 
The game was played in a crisp two hours and 20 minutes and looked like a pitchers duel for most of the way until the Chaps (6-2, 6-2 LSC) plated six runs in the final two frames. It is the first sweep of a four game series for Lubbock Christian since they took four straight games from No. 16 Arkansas-Fort Smith May 3-4 in 2018.
 
Tyler Hardwick handled the LCU half of the pitcher's duel to start and was solid. He pitched 5.1 innings with just one run allowed on four hits and three walks while striking out three batters. The one run he allowed came in the second, as Tanner White walked with one out and scored on a double by Colton Hinkle.
 
The Eagles held onto that lead until the sixth inning, as the Chaps stranded runners in the third and fourth innings against Oklahoma Christian freshman Will Rodman, who was excellent in just his second collegiate start. LCU finally scratched across a run in the sixth inning. Edgar Hernandez singled to left field. He advanced to second on a groundout, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on another groundout.
 
Oklahoma Christian had a chance to retake the lead in the bottom half in the inning. Blake Empkey worked a leadoff walk, but was caught stealing by Jaxson Edwards. Chance Westervelt then doubled and White was hit by a pitch, finally chasing Hardwick to the game. Peyton Hutson was the man to replace man to replace Hardwick, and escaped the jam in just tree pitches, getting a lineout from Grant Lake that turned into a double play.
 
Finally, in the top of the eighth, Rodman was removed from the game, and the Chaps promptly plated four runs. Caden Hensley got things started off with a walk. He was erased on a fielder's choice, but it didn't matter when the next batter – Luis Navarro – skyed a ball to right field that just stayed fair and cleared the yard for a two-run home run.
 
Jarred Gibson kept the rally alive with another walk and then things really fell apart for OC. Larry Leitha was the next batter and he singled to left field, advancing to second on the throw into the infield. The throw was wide of the bag at second though, and with no one backing up the play, both he and Gibson were able to score and make the score 5-1.
 
Hutson continued to dominate in the eighth, sitting down the Eagles in order for the second straight inning. He ended the day with 3.2 innings pitched, striking out five, walking one and ending up with the win in relief.
 
The Chap offense grabbed him two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth, as George Mendazona singled and Eduardo Acosta drove him in with yet another opposite field home run.
 
Hutson's only trouble came with one out in the ninth, when he gave up a solo shot to White, which the batter watched fly out of the ballpark, despite his team's five-run deficit. Lake was the next batter, and he struck out. Hutson allowed one final baserunner with a walk, but induced a groundout to end the game.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
2.81 | Lubbock Christian pitchers allowed just 10 earned runs for the weekend in 32 innings pitched for a series ERA of 2.81
41 | Although they drew just two walks in the finale, LCU batters have earned a free pass 41 times this season, which is the second-best total in the league
.208 | Eagle batters collected just 25 hits on the weekend in 28 at-bats for a .208 batting average against the Chaparral pitching staff
.462 | With his double in the second inning, Jarred Gibson still has a hit in every single LCU game this season, and the sophomore is batting .462 for the year