LUBBOCK, Texas (March 27, 2022) – It was a pitching duel through seven innings before St. Edward's scored four runs in the top of the eighth, winning 5-1 against Lubbock Christian in Sunday's series finale.
 
The Chaps (22-8, 20-8 LSC) out-hit the Hilltoppers (20-12, 20-12) 7-6 in the low-scoring ballgame, but LCU also committed three errors compared to none for SEU.
 
Ty Stephenson and Jack Granack were the dueling hurlers for most of the game, with Stephenson suffering a tough loss and Granack earning a hard-fought win.
 
Stephenson's outing was his best of the season, as the right-hander allowed just one earned run through 7.1 innings of work. That one run came in the third inning, when Morgan Allen and Kyler Kerlin stroked back-to-back one out singles. Allen was very nearly thrown out going first to third on Kerlin's hit, but the third base umpires called him safe, and the Hiltopper shortstop came into score on a groundout.
 
The score stayed 1-0 for the next three innings, as Stephenson and Granack matched each other on the mound. The Chap starter had to work his way out of a jam in the fourth after he allowed a leadoff double. He was helped by a caught stealing from Jarred Gibson in the middle of the inning, and the runner was stranded at third. Starting with the last out of the fourth, Stephenson retired 11 straight batters.
 
Lubbock Christian's offense finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth after squandering leadoff baserunners in both the fourth and fifth. George Mendazona got things going with a one-out double. Luis Navarro followed with a walk, and after a flyout from Larry Leitha, Mason Donohoe also walked to load the bases for Jarred Gibson.
 
Gibson came through, pulling a single down the left field line, just off the glove of the SEU third baseman. Carson Ogilvie was the next batter and he gave a ball a ride to the warning track, but it was caught to end the inning and keep the score tied.
 
In the eighth, Allen was up to lead things off and Stephenson got him to ground out to third base to start the inning. He got another ground ball from Kerlin, this time to first base, but is slipped past Navarro and put a runner on base with just one out.
 
That's when the wheel fell off for the Chaps. Stephenson hit the next batter he faced, and was removed from the game for Colton Brown. Brown walked a batter and then got weak contact from Davis Drewek, but the chopper fell in for a hit to score a run. Another ground ball went to Ogilvie, who mad a great diving stop and got one out, but the batter beat out the double play to keep the inning alive.
 
Another hit-by-pitch re-loaded the bases and the Hilltoppers called on pinch-hitter Hunter Connor, who doubled to right field, driving in two more runs.
 
St. Edward's went to the bullpen after taking the lead, and Austin Essex worked around a two-out single in the eighth to hold the Chaps scoreless. In the ninth, Ogilvie walked to lead off, and Caden Hensley drew a one-out walk, bringing Jayson Flores out of the bullpen. Flores got a groundout and a strikeout to end the game and earn the save.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
2:32 | The low-scoring affair took just two hours and 32 minutes to play, making it the shortest nine-inning game played at Hays Field this season. The only nine-inning game shorter for the Chaps this season was on Feb. 13, when LCU beat Oklahoma Christian 7-2 in two hours and 20 minutes
.111 | Lubbock Christian had just one hit in nine at-bats with runners in scoring position on the day for a .111 batting average in those situations
17 | Jack Granack was effective at getting ahead of the Chap hitters, throwing first-pitch strikes to 17 of the 29 batters he faced, including 10 of the first 12 hitters
6.28 | Allowing just the one earned run in his time on the mound, Ty Stephenson lowered his ERA by more than a run and a half, dropping it to 6.28 for the season
 
NEXT UP
Lubbock Christian will be on the road next weekend for a big series, as they take on league-leading West Texas A&M in four games at Wilder Park in Canyon, Texas.