LAWTON, Oklahoma (April 15, 2022) – The two games could not have been more different score-wise, as Lubbock Christian University split Friday's doubleheader with Cameron, losing 2-1 in the first game and winning 20-5 in the second one.
 
The Chaps (28-13, 26-13) got a pair of strong pitching performances from Ethan Coombes and Shandon Herrera, but the win by the Aggies (13-26, 13-24) in the top half of the doubleheader clinched at least a split for the host squad.
 
GAME TWO
Coombes did his absolute best to get the Chaps a bounce-back in in the first game of the day, allowing only two hits in his fourth complete-game of the season, but he ended up suffering the loss anyway.
 
The right-hander was given the slimmest of leads in the third inning after he and Cameron starter Marcos Feria traded zeroes in the first two frames. It was Caden Hensley leading things off, and the Chap nine-hole hitter blasted a triple down the left field line. Eduardo Acosta followed with a double to drive him in. That would be all the Chaps would score for the entire game, despite a number of other chances.
 
LCU out-hit the Aggies in the game 5-2 and put their leadoff batter on in four of the seven innings. The double from Acosta was their only hit with runners in scoring position in nine total chances. Through the first two games of the series, LCU was batting .100 (2-20) with runners in scoring position.
 
Cameron's rally came in the bottom of the fifth, when Coombes walked the leadoff batter and then gave up a double. A fielder's choice drove in the first run and then the Aggies used a sacrifice fly to take the lead.
 
Lubbock Christian came 90 feet short of rallying to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Jarred Gibson was hit by a pitch to start the frame and the Chaps moved him over with a sacrifice bunt. Brevin McCool followed with a walk before Hensley flied out. Both runners advanced a base on a passed ball, but Acosta popped out to end the game.
 
GAME TWO
Herrera gave up more runs than Coombes, but he also tossed a complete-game and set a new career high with 12 strikeouts in the outing. He moved to 4-4 on the year behind an explosive performance from the Chaparral offense.
 
The Chaps got on the board early this time around, putting their first two batters on and putting them in a scoring position on a groundout. Larry Leitha then reached on an error, which also allowed both runs to score.
 
Cameron immediately took the lead back in the bottom of the first with three runs, but a caught stealing and Herrera's first strikeout ended the rally.
 
LCU see-sawed back in front in the top of the second. Carson Ogilvie tied the game all by himself, doubling to leadoff, stealing third and scoring on an error. Acosta scored the go-ahead run on a single from Mendazona.
 
Herrera struck out the side in the bottom of the inning and his offense rewarded him in the top of the third. The Chaps got three straight singles to start the frame, and Brevin McCool came through with the grand slam swing, crushing his second homer in just six games played. LCU added two more runs in the inning for a 10-3 lead.
 
The Aggies got two runs back in the third and the Chaps went scoreless in the fourth, but Lubbock Christian really broke the game open in the fifth. Mendazona led off with a home run to set the tone, and the Chaps ended up sending 12 men to the plate before an out was ever recorded. Donohoe had the only other homer in the inning, but LCU scored 10 run in the frame to get to 20.
 
Working around a leadoff double in the fifth, Herrera hung another zero. The last out of the inning was his 11^th strikeout, and he sat the Aggies down in order in the sixth but without another K. In the final frame, he got a flyout and a groundout before striking out Beau Williams swinging to set the new career mark.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.450 | After batting 2-20 with runners in scoring position through the first two games of the series, LCU was 9-20 (.450) in those situations in the second game of the doubleheader
21 | LCU's 21 hits were their most in a single game this season. The last time they recorded more than 21 hits in a game was March 29, 2019, when they collected 28 in a win over Newman
.570 | With three doubles, a triple and three home runs, Lubbock Christian raised the team slugging percentage back up to .570, which leads the Lone Star Conference
 
NEXT UP
Lubbock Christian will look for a win on Saturday to salvage a series split and avoid their first series loss of the year. First pitch of the series finale is 1 p.m.