LUBBOCK, Texas (April 10, 2022) – In a wild, back-and-forth game on Sunday, Lubbock Christian University needed a walkoff home run from left fielder Eduardo Acosta to beat Eastern New Mexico 13-12 and secure the series win 3-1.
 
The runs were aplenty at Hays Field, as the Chaps (27-11, 25-11) erased deficits of three runs on two different occasions and the Greyhounds (14-21, 14-20) were down by as many as five at one point.
 
ENMU came out swinging and jumped out to a lead in the first inning for the third time in the series. The wheels weren't off right away, but Chap starter Ty Stephenson gave up an RBI single to Cooper Hamilton and a two-run homer to Nick Schifftner before setting in to get out of the inning.
 
Luckily, the Chaparral offense was there to pick him up, and it took just three batters to tie the game back up in the bottom of the first. Acosta led off with a single and George Mendazona followed with a double. That brought Luis Navarro to the plate, and on the third pitch he saw, he crushed a home run over the wall in center field.
 
LCU wasn't done in the inning yet, as Mason Donohoe singled and stole second, scoring on a single by Carson Ogilvie to give the Chaps the lead.
 
Zeroes were put up by both pitchers in the second, but Eastern New Mexico was able to tie the game in the third thanks to a hit-by-pitch, a stolen base, a single and a sacrifice fly. In the fourth, three singles allowed them to re-take the lead, and they might have scored more, but Hamilton was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double.
 
ENMU starter Dalton Thatcher held the Chaps off the board for five straight innings after the first, which is what allowed his team to retake the lead. They extended it in the sixth, when Peyton Hutson walked the first two batters, gave up a run, and then walked two more before he was replaced by Colton Brown. One more run came in before Brown got out of the inning, leaving the Chaps down by three once again.
 
Carson Ogilvie got things going for the Chaps in the bottom of the sixth with a triple to the warning track in left field. He scored when the next batter, Brevin McCool, homered over the left field wall. It was the first collegiate homer for the true freshman.
 
After one out was recorded, the top of the Chap order came through again, with Acosta and Mendazona reaching base to set up yet another Navarro blast. This time he went opposite field, pushing the ball over the wall in right center. Larry Leitha followed with yet another home run, sneaking is inside the foul pole down the left field line. Donohoe reached again and ended up scoring on an error before the inning finally ended, and the Chaps were leading by four.
 
LCU kept the Greyhounds scoreless and added a run in the bottom of the frame for a five-run lead, but a comfortable win was not to be. Two batters walked to lead off again in the eighth, and ENMU ended up scoring four runs in the play before Cannon Davis got a double play ball to end the threat with the Chaps still up one.
 
The Chaps loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth but could not score, clinging two their one-run lead heading into the final frame. A leadoff walk came back to bite LCU again, as Dax Edmonds doubled home Camden Matthews to tie the game. Davis was able to escape without any further damage, leaving the Chaps tied.
 
Acosta was the leadoff man in the bottom of the inning, taking two balls before fouling off four straight pitches. He finally got one he liked from reliever Javier Luna and crushed the ball over the left field wall for the walkoff win.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
62 | With five more on Sunday, Lubbock Christian has now hit 62 home runs this season. It leads the conference by a margin of 20 and is just 10 shy of their season total from 2021, when they hit 72 in 46 games
.417 | LCU was 5-for-12 when batting with runners in scoring position for a .417 average in those situations
13 | Lubbock Christian scored 13 runs, reaching the double-digit mark  for the 14^th time this season
3/4 | Acosta's walkoff home run was his first round-tripper since March 4, when he hit a home run to open the game against Angelo State
 
NEXT UP
The Chas will be on the road next weekend, taking on Cameron in a four-game series in Lawton, Oklahoma. The series will play Thursday through Saturday due to Easter.