KINGSVILLE, Texas (March 19, 2022) – It was a pitcher's duel early on, but Texas A&M-Kingsville found the offense and clutch hitting late, defeating Lubbock Christian University 8-3 in Saturday's series finale.
 
The Chaps (20-6, 18-6 LSC) still leave south Texas winners though, having already taken the first three games from the Javelinas (17-9, 15-9 LSC) for their fifth series win of the season.
 
Even down six runs in the final frame, LCU gave one last effort to rally. Cayde Ward pinch hit with one out and walked, followed by a Carson Ogilvie double to put the pair in scoring position. Then with two outs, Eduardo Acosta singled home one of the runs, followed by a walk to George Mendazona to load the bases. Luis Navarro was the next batter, but the Javelina pitcher was able to get a popout to end the game.
 
The Chap had just six hits overall in the ballgame and only two of those went for extra bases. They have only recorded fewer than six hits twice this season. The top three batters in the order for LCU were a combined 1-14 with a walk. Acosta's ninth-inning single was the only hit from that group.
 
Through the first five innings, Lubbock Christian starter Ty Stephenson and Texas A&M-Kingsville starter Brandon Symmank locked horns in a pitcher's duel. Symmank, who came in with the league's best ERA at 1.73, lived up to his billing, working a no-hitter through four frames and allowing just two earned runs on four hits and three walks in seven total innings of work.
 
Stephenson matched him blow for blow early on though, working out of some early jams and keeping the Javelinas scoreless through four. TAMUK finally broke through in the fifth, but even that inning nearly went scoreless. A one-out walk and single put runners at the corners when Stephenson got a ground ball to the shortstop, but the Chaps were unable to convert the double play and a run scored.
 
The Javelinas added to the lead and chased the Chap starter from the game in the sixth, sending nine men to the plate and scoring four runs to go on top 5-0.
 
LCU immediately got two of the runs back in the seventh, with walks from Jarred Gibson and Ogilvie both scoring on a triple by Caden Hensley. Gibson was the only batter Symmank couldn't seem to figure out, as the catcher reached base in all three plate appearances against the TAMUK starter, including one single and two walks.
 
Texas A&M-Kingsville went scoreless in the seventh but added insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, when they scored three times off Lubbock Christian reliever Brendan Anderson, and the Chap rally came up short in their final frame.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.448 | Gibson's three times on base in four plate appearances raised his batting average for the season to .448, which is the fourth-best mark on the team
12 | The Chaps struck out 12 times in the game, which matches their season high. Eleven of those came from Symmnank, and half of the total were looking
.750 | Lubbock Christian has been excellent away from home this season with a 9-3 away game record (.750 winning percentage)