LAWTON, Oklahoma (April 14, 2022) – Lubbock Christian University dropped a series-opener for the first time in more than three months on Thursday, falling 8-3 to start the four-game set at Cameron.
 
The Chaps (27-12, 25-12 LSC) struck out 14 times on the night as the Aggies (12-25, 12-23 LSC) held them to fewer than four runs for just the seventh time this season.
 
Things looked like they would go well for LCU offensively at the beginning of the game when they singled twice against CU starter Tyler Cornett, but he got out of the inning unscathed. By the next time Cornett came to the mound, he had the lead.
 
Tyler Hardwick started opposite of him and struggled to start, allowing a leadoff single before a Beau Williams home run to left center. Hardwick bounced back with back-to-back strikeouts and a flyout, but the Chaps were forced into comeback mode after just the first inning for the fourth time in the last five games.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the second, but Lubbock Christian got their only offense of the game in the third. Caden Hensley led things off and was hit by a pitch, followed by base knocks from Eduardo Acosta and George Mendazona to plate a run. Luis Navarro then walked, and a run came across on a wild pitch. One more scored on a passed ball to give the Chaps the lead, but back-to-back strikeouts from Cornett ended the frame.
 
Cameron re-took the lead almost immediately in the bottom of the third. Hardwick allowed another leadoff baserunner but he erased him on a double play. Then two straight walks followed an a single plated the go-ahead run before LCU got out of the inning.
 
LCU did not put a runner in scoring position in the fourth or fifth, and in the bottom of the fifth the Aggies stretched their lead out to four runs with a three-spot. They added one more in the eighth to get to their game total of eight.
 
The Chaps got a runner to third with two outs in the seventh but did not score. Their best chance to get back into the game offensively came in the eighth when Larry Leitha singled and Mason Donohoe walked to start the inning, but two strikeouts and a lineout left the runners stranded there. LCU got a leadoff base runner in the ninth again, but went down in order after that.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
14 | Lubbock Christian has only struck out more than 17 times once this season, in the April 1 win against West Texas A&M
.500 | Cameron put its leadoff batter on in four of their eight trips to the plate for a .500 on-base percentage
.091 | The Chaps hit 11 times with a runner in scoring position and only got one hit for a .091 batting average
 
NEXT UP
Lubbock Christian will try and bounce back on Friday when they take the field for a doubleheader against Cameron at 2 p.m.