LUBBOCK, Texas (March 12, 2022) – The runs were plentiful on Saturday at Hays Field as Lubbock Christian University scored 29 times across a pair of wins against Texas A&M-International.
 
The Chaps (15-5, 13-5 LSC) beat the Dustdevils (10-14, 10-12 LSC) 12-4 in the first game behind a strong outing on the mound from Ethan Coombes and won 17-8 in the second game to complete the doubleheader sweep.
 
GAME ONE
Coombes looked in trouble early walking a batter and hitting another to start the game, but he got a ground ball double play and a strikeout to escape without any damage and then put up zeroes in the second and third innings as well.
 
In the bottom of the third, LCU's offense worked a two-out rally to give Coombes the lead. After a strikeout and a popout to start the frame, Eduardo Acosta tripled and George Mendazona doubled to drive him in. Luis Navarro followed with another double to score a run and Larry Leith capped off the offensive effort with a home run. The senior is tied for the league lead in round-trippers.
 
The Dustdevils got two of the runs back in the fourth, but the Chaps added one in the frame as well. Both teams went scoreless in the fifth, but Lubbock Christian was able to break the game open in the bottom of the sixth.
 
LCU loaded the bases with no outs, thanks to a hit-by-pitch, a walk and a bunt single, and head coach Nathan Blackwood decided to pinch hit Cayde ward for Caden Hensley. Ward delivered once again off the bench, crushing a grand slam over the left field wall. Three more runs came in during the frame, with one scoring on a wild pitch and two more on an Edgar Hernandez single. All three of those were unearned.
 
Coombes went back out to try and complete his start and walked the first two batters he faced. The Chaps got an out before another walk loaded the bases. The second out came by way of the strikeout, but a single plated two runs and chased Coombes from the game. Freshman Stone Rhodes came in to close things out and got a fly out to end the game.
 
GAME TWO
Texas A&M International got on the board first in the second game and twice as many runs as they did in the first, but it still wasn't enough to top the hot-hitting Chaps. LCU re-took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the first, thanks to a two-RBI single from Mason Donohoe.
 
The Dustdevils took the lead one more time in the second, but an RBI single from Mendazona and run-scoring double from Leitha tied the game back up at 4-4 in the bottom of the second.
 
TAMIU tied the game up again with a solo shot in the third, but the Chaps plated three more runs in the bottom of the inning Carson Ogilvie started the frame off with a solo shot of his own before singles from Mendazona and Jarred Gibson drove in runs. Ogilvie's round-tripper was his first-ever in a Chap uniform, but he wasn't done homering for the day.
 
In the fifth, Texas A&M International made its final push, chasing starter Shandon Herrera from the game with three more runs. Tyler Hardwick came into the game to relieve Herrera and got out of the inning with the game just tied, and the LCU offense picked him up and made the rest of his outing fairly stress free.
 
Lubbock Christian retook the lead for good in the fifth on a Leitha single, pushed another run in with a walk and then broke the game open when Donohoe cleared the bases with a double. Ogilvie added his second home run before the inning ended for good measure.
 
Gibson added some insurance in the sixth when he hit a bases-clearing double of his own, and Hardwick worked a three-up, three-down top of the seventh to secure the win.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
33 | The Chaps homered four times on the day and now lead the Lone Star Conference in that category by double-digits. St. Edward's and UT Permian Basin are tied for second with 23 apiece
5 | Batting in the leadoff spot, Eduardo Acosta scored five runs in the second game of the doubleheader, which is tied for the most in a single game by an LSC player this season
.500 | Lubbock Christian was a combined 15-30 (.500) on the day when batting with runners in scoring position
 
NEXT UP
Game three of the series will be played at 1 p.m. on Sunday with the Chaps trying to secure a win in the series.