TYLER, Texas (April 29, 2022) – Lubbock Christian University saw their six-game win streak come to an end on Friday night, as UT Tyler took the series-opener 7-1 at Irwin Field.
 
It is just the third loss in a series-opener this season for the Chaps, who fall to 33-14 overall and 31-14 in Lone Star Conference play.
 
The looked like it might be a high-scoring affair after the first inning, when both LCU and UTT plate runs. Lubbock Christian tallied their only score of the game after just two batters, as Carson Ogilvie and George Mendazona led off with back-to-back doubles to plate the run. Luis Navarro followed with a walk to put two on with still nobody out, but Patriot starter Dylan Bloomquist was able to wriggle out of the jam.
 
It didn't take too long for the host team to pull back in front though, as they plated two runs off Tyler Hardwick in the first. All three hits the Chap starter allowed in the frame were ground ball singles, and an error mixed in made the second run unearned.
 
The two pitchers stayed locked in a duel for the next three innings, matching each other with zeroes. LCU's only hit in that time was a bunt single in the fourth by Edgar Hernandez.
 
Still leading 2-1, UT Tyler tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. They then broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth when they plated four more runs, all with two outs.
 
Bloomquist remained on the mound through the seventh, giving up just one final hit in the sixth on a bloop single from Larry Leitha. The last two frames with reliever Mitchell Lee on the mound for UT Tyler did not improve things for the Chaps. They went down in order in the eighth and got one walk in the ninth before a groundout ended the game.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.583 | The Patriots had seven hits in 12 at-bats with two outs for a .583 batting average, scoring six of their seven runs in those situations
40 | Chap catcher Luis Navarro caught a pair of runners stealing in the game, bringing his season total to seven and his LCU career total to 40
.167 | Although they came into the game batting .379 against left-handed pitching and 8-1 against lefty starters, but they had just four hits in in 24 at-bats against the lefty starter Bloomquist
 
NEXT UP
Lubbock Christian will try and bounce back on Saturday as they take on UT Tyler in the doubleheader portion of the series, which will start at noon at Irwin Field.