LUBBOCK, Texas (February 18, 2022) – There were only three completely scoreless innings on Friday night in the series-opener between Lubbock Christian University and St. Mary's, with LCU eventually ending up on top, 13-10.
 
The Rattlers (3-4, 1-4) had the lead at three different points in the game, but the Chaps (7-2, 7-2) were able to respond every time, finally going on top for good with four runs in the bottom of the seventh, and Cannon Davis closed out the win with two shutout innings.
 
From the very start, the game had an offensive tone. Armando Valle threw a first-pitch strike to Jake Elizondo to start the game, but on the second pitch the second baseman swung and drove the ball to the opposite field for a leadoff home run. Valle struggled to respond and walked three batters in the inning while hitting another to push in a second run before the Chaps even came to bat.
 
Lubbock Christian responded right away though, plating five runs in the bottom of the inning. The first came quickly, with Navarro doubling to score Mendazona from first. Jarred Gibson reached with a single, and the inning could have ended after that with two straight strikeouts, but Larry Leitha reached base after he swung and missed because of an error by the StMU catcher. Edgar Hernandez made sure the Chaps capitalized on the mistake, swinging on the first pitch he saw and blasting it over the left field wall for a grand slam.
 
The Rattlers cut into the lead with two more runs in the second and briefly tied the game up in the third with another run, but LCU got it back with an RBI single from Mason Donohoe in the bottom half of the inning.
 
A two-out rally from St. Mary's in the fourth allowed them to re-take the lead with three runs, and LCU got only one back in the bottom half of the inning. A Chap pitcher finally put up a zero in the fifth though, as Colton Brown came on in relief of Brendan Anderson and got a double play ball before a fly out ended the inning.
 
Brown was good again in the sixth, striking out two before allowing an infield single. Gibson gunned down the runner trying to steal second though, ending the frame.
 
LCU went back in front with another two unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth. Navarro reached on an error by the shortstop with two outs, and Gibson followed with a single. Both runners scored when Leitha snuck a ground ball down the left field line for a double, putting the Chaps on top 9-8.
 
The Rattlers finally got to Brown in the seventh, taking the lead for the final time with a hit-by-pitch, a triple, and an error. St. Mary's tried for more and loaded the bases with two outs, but Brown struck out Clay Bradford to end the threat and his time on the mound.
 
Luckily for Brown, the Chap offense had his back. Hernandez continued his big day at the plate with a triple to start the inning, scoring the tying run on a wild pitch. Andrew Girod was brought in from the bullpen with one out and struggled, walking the only three batters he faced before John Curtis came in. Curtis also walked a batter and hit another two plate two more runs. Leitha drove in a final insurance run with a sac fly.
 
Davis came in to relieve Brown and try for the save. He was electric in the eighth inning, striking out three straight batters, but Curtis matched him in the bottom half of the inning. In the ninth, St. Mary's got a leadoff double and Davis hit a batter with two outs, but Brian Juarez struck out to end the game.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.533 | The Rattlers had eight hits in 15 at-bats with two outs in the game for a .533 batting average. They had five two-out RBI
6 | Lubbock Christian, meanwhile, was just 3-11 (.273) with two outs, but still drove in six two-out runs
.500 | Jarred Gibson was already leading the team in batting average at .462 before the game, and his 3-4 performance at the plate raised his season mark to .500
 
NEXT UP
Lubbock Christian can win the series on Saturday if they sweep the doubleheader, which will start at 2 p.m. at Hays Field.