LUBBOCK, Texas (April 22, 2022) – After giving up a four-spot in the top of the first, Lubbock Christian University answered with 17 unanswered runs, eventually beating UT Permian Basin 18-6 in run-rule fashion on Friday night at Hays Field.
 
With wind blowing upwards of 30 miles per hour the whole afternoon and evening, it seemed like a good night for the long ball. The Falcons (12-30, 11-30) took advantage with three homers on the night, but the Chaps (30-13, 28-13) scored all 18 of their runs without the benefit of a home run.
 
Two of the three UTPB home runs came in the first inning, as the Falcons jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Michael Clapperton walked to start the game and Garret Thornton promptly homered to give his team the lead. The Devin Ferrari doubled off the top of the wall and scored on Gabriel Morin's home run for the 4-0 lead.
 
The Chaps got the first run back quickly, as Eduardo Acosta tripled to lead off and scored on a sacrifice fly from George Mendazona. They did not take the lead until the third though, when they plated four runs.
 
Mendazona led things off with a walk, advancing to third on a double from Luis Navarro. A run came home on a wild pitch and Navarro scored on a groundout. With two outs, Jarred Gibson doubled. He scored on the next play, in a wild sequence from Carson Ogilvie. The Chap shortstop blooped a ball into center field, running hard with good speed and getting to second easily, scoring Gibson in the process. Taking advantage of lackadaisical play by the UTPB outfielder, Ogilvie hustled on to third, sliding in just ahead of the throw for a triple. Except the throw bounced past the bag and he got up and sprinted home, giving his team the lead.
 
Lubbock Christian starter Armando Valle did settle in after the rough first, and he executed the shutdown inning in the top of the fourth. Valle ended up tossing 6.0 innings with five runs allowed, striking out a season-high 11 batters in the process.
 
His job was made easier in the bottom of the fourth, when his offense extended the lead with five more runs. Two of them came on a single from Larry Leitha, and three more came when Ogilvie had a bases-loaded single that induced a throwing error from the Falcon third basemen.
 
The biggest inning, however, was the fifth, when LCU plated another seven runs. Thirteen Chaps came to the plate in the inning as they took advantage of free passes. Acosta was a key part of the inning as well, hitting both a triple and a double in the frame. The junior finished the game 4-for-5 with nine total bases.
 
UTPB scored one final run off Valle in the sixth on a single by Clapperton, but the Chaps got it back when Mason Donohoe doubled to score Leitha. Donohoe's blast missed leaving the yard by mere inches.
 
Logan Ellis came on in the seventh and gave up a one-out home run and a single, but induced a double play to end the game.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
30 | Lubbock Christian has now won at least 30 games in 16 of the 19 seasons with Nathan Blackwood as the head coach
.714 | The Falcons did do a good job of getting their leadoff batter on, seeing them reach in five of the seven frames, but they also hit just .278 with runners on base
36 | LCU's double play to end the game was their 36^th of the season, which is the second-most in the Lone Star Conference
.370 | The Chaps had seven hits in 10 at-bats against the left-handed reliever used by UTPB, bringing their season batting average against lefties to .370 (96-259)
 
NEXT UP
The Chaps will have a chance to win the series on Saturday if they can sweep the doubleheader, which begins at 2 p.m. at Hays Field.