LUBBOCK, Texas (April 23, 2022) – Lubbock Christian University's impressive offensive performance carried over to day two of the series against UT Permian Basin, as they beat the Falcons 10-0 and 23-5 to sweep Saturday's doubleheader at Hays Field and clinch the series win before the finale.
 
The Chaps are now 32-13 on the season and have won five straight games.
 
GAME ONE
The top half of the doubleheader looked like a pitcher's duel in the early innings, with Lubbock Christian leading just 1-0 after the third. LCU got that run in the bottom of the second, when Mason Donohoe hit a one-out infield single and scored all the way from first when Jarred Gibson followed with a double down the left field line.
 
In the fourth, though, the Chaps broke the game open, as Luis Navarro led off with a double. He scored on a Donohoe single, which Gibson followed with another double. Carson Ogilvie plated the pair with a single to left field. Heads up play from the Chaparral shortstop gave LCU one more run before the inning ended, as he scored from first on a single up the middle, taking advantage of sloppy play in the outfield.
 
The single run in the second would have been enough for the Chaps to win though, as Ethan Coombes tossed a gem. The right-hander allowed a leadoff single to start the game and did not allow another hit the rest of the way. He matched his season high with 10 strikeouts and notched his fifth complete game of the year.
 
The complete game one-hitter was the first by a Lubbock Christian pitcher since March 23, 2019, when Chandler Casey accomplished the feat in a nine-inning game Casey did allow a run though, beating Arkansas-Fort Smith 3-1. The last time a Chap threw a complete game shutout and allowed just one hit was March 15, 2019, when Nathan Dockery did it in a 10-0 win (seven innings) against Texas A&M International.
 
Oddly enough, 10-0 was the final score in Coombes' Saturday win as well, as the Chaps plated two more runs in the fifth and three in the sixth.
 
Navarro doubled a second time in the fifth to drive in Eduardo Acosta, and he scored himself on a sacrifice fly. Gibson led off the sixth with a single and scored when Ogilvie followed with a home run down the left field line. It was his fourth of the season and the first of the weekend for the Chaps. They scored one final time on a single by George Mendazona.
 
The top of the seventh inning was the only time a runner was put in scoring position by the Falcons. Devin Ferrari struck out to lead off but reached base on a wild pitch. He stole second and moved to third on another wild pitch, but a diving catch of a liner from Ogilvie ended the game and preserved the shutout.
 
GAME TWO
The 10-run first game was just an appetizer for what came in the bottom half of the doubleheader though, as the Chaps set a new season-high in runs scored with 23. It was the most scored in a game since the 2021 regular season series finale, when they scored 23 against Oklahoma Christian. The last time LCU scored more than 23 in a game was March 29, 2019, when they won 28-1 over Newman.
 
By the end of the game, the Chaps had tallied a respectable 15 hits for the 23 runs, but the didn't get to double-digit hits until their final turn at bat in the sixth inning. Most of the runs came on account of the incredible number of walks issued by UTPB pitching.
 
In fact, the 16 walks drawn by the Chaps in the win were their most in a single game in over a decade. The last time a Chaparral team walked 16 times in a game was February 20. 2011 against Lindenwood, in a game LCU won 18-15.
 
The Chaps took the lead early with four runs in the first of Mario Macias. They went ahead and put the game out of reach in the bottom of the second and chased Macias by putting up an eight-spot. The eight runs came on just four hits, three of which were doubles, as Lubbock Christian sent 14 men to the plate.
 
A third pitcher – Tristan Romero – came in for the Falcons in the bottom of the third and gave up three more runs, but he settled in after that and hung zeroes in the fourth and fifth.
 
It was in the fifth inning that the Chaps began emptying their bench, pinch-hitting for three straight batters in the frame and bringing on more players as defensive replacements in the top of the sixth.
 
UTPB took Romero out of the game in the bottom of the sixth though, bringing in Jose Hernandez instead, and the senior struggled to get outs. Lubbock Christian sent 14 men to the plate again and scored another eight runs, highlighted by a three-run, pinch-hit home run from Merritt McPherson and a solo home run from Ogilvie.
 
Shandon Herrera had started the game on the mound and pitched the first five innings, allowing three runs on just two hits and four walks. Cannon Davis came on in relief for the sixth and pitched a scoreless frame before giving up two runs in the top of the seventh. Senior Steven Dennis came on to get the final out in the seventh, walking a batter before getting a flyout to end the game.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
23 | LCU's 23 runs were the fourth-most scored in single game by a Lone Star Conference team this season
.516 | The Chaps hit a combined 31-for-60 on the day, batting .516 across the doubleheader
.202 | Ethan Coombes came into the day already second in the LSC in opponent's batting average, but by holding the Falcons to a 1-for-21 performance he actually lowered his season mark from .223 to .206
 
NEXT UP
The Chaps will wrap up the series on Sunday with a game starting at 1 p.m. It will be senior day for Lubbock Christian, and the ceremony honoring the 14 graduating players will begin at 12:45 p.m.