WICHITA FALLS, Texas (February 22, 2023) –
Amanda Valdiviezo (4),
Kasey Flores (5) and
Riley Lunsford (4) combined for 13 RBI in a doubleheader sweep Wednesday afternoon at Mustang Park, as No.9 Lubbock Christian University claimed a Lone Star Conference series sweep with a 9-4 and 9-0 (6 inn.) win over Midwestern State.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Game 1: LCU 9, MSU 4 / Game 2: LCU 9, MSU 0
Records: LCU (13-4, 3-3), MSU (1-12, 0-6)
Location: Wichita Falls, Texas (Mustang Park)
Time of Game: Game 1: 1:40 / Game 2: 2:00
Weather: Game 1: 68, Wind: Southwest at 24 / Game 2: 74, Wind: Southwest at 21
GAME 1:
LCU Highlights:
Turning Point:
Kamryn Gibbs solo home run in the top of the fourth inning put the game into a four-run game, as Midwestern State had cut the deficit to 6-3 in the bottom of the third inning.
How it Happened:
LCU opened things off with a three-run home run by Flores in the top of the first inning. Lexi Mills had a double in the bottom of the first inning to get MSU on the scoreboard for their first run of the series.
Victoria Owens led off the top of the second inning with a double and scored on a double hit by
Tiarra Delrosario for a 4-1 LCU lead. A wild pitch and error led to a Mustangs run in the bottom half of the inning, as MSU cut their deficit to 4-2.
Doubles by Flores and Lunsford each produced a run in the top of the third inning and helped LCU extend the lead to 6-2. A sacrifice squeeze bunt for MSU in the bottom of the inning cut the LCU lead to 6-3.
Gibbs blasted a home run in the top of the fourth inning, which extended LCU's lead to 7-3. They grabbed insurance in the top of the seventh inning with
Skylar Herrera scoring on an error and Lunsford driving in a run off a single to complete the scoring in the two-run seventh inning.
Inside the Numbers:
- Maxine Valdez improved to 5-1 with the win in the circle. She went the distance for the complete game (fourth of the season). She allowed two earned runs off six hits and struck out eight batters in 7.0 innings.
- There were nine doubles hit in the game, with MSU hitting five and LCU hitting four.
- Kasey Flores connected on her seventh home run of the season and her 47th of her NCAA career. It was part of a five-RBI performance and her ninth multi-RBI game of the season. It is her fourth game of her LCU career with at least five RBI.
- Kamryn Gibbs hit her first home run of the season and the eighth of her LCU career. Gibbs' homer marks her as the eighth Lady Chaps member this season to hit a home run.
- Riley Lunsford was 2-for-2 in at-bats with runners in scoring position.
GAME 2:
LCU Highlights:
Turning Point:
Riley Lunsford's two-run home run to centerfield opened the scoring in the fourth inning.
How it Happened:
The game was scoreless after three innings, and the scoring came fast in the fourth inning.
Kasey Flores walked with one out and Lunsford followed with a two-run home run.
Victoria Owens and
Berkeley Quinn followed with singles to set up Valdiviezo, who hit a three-run home run to make it a five-run inning.
A pair of walks and a RBI-single by Valdiviezo put the first three batters aboard in the sixth inning.
Skylar Herrera hit a sacrifice fly and Banales drove in a pair of runs with a two-out double to close the scoring and put LCU up 9-0.
Inside the Numbers:
- Taylor Franco started in the circle and went 3.0 innings before turning things over to Ashlinn Hamilton for the final 3.0 innings. The two combined for a two-hit shutout, with each allowing one hit. Franco struck out four batters and Hamilton struck out a trio of Mustangs.
- There were nine doubles hit in the game, with MSU hitting five and LCU hitting four.
- Riley Lunsford's home run was her second of the season and second of her LCU career.
- Amanda Valdiviezo produced her second home run of the season and the four RBI marked a career high for the freshman.
- Skylar Herrera went 1-for-4 from the plate, going 1-for-1 in a leadoff role. She was batting at the top of the order for the first time in her LCU career. Herrera went 4-for-8 (.500) in the series, co-leading with Tiarra Delrosario and Hope Banales in the series in hits (4).
- LCU was 6-for-14 with runners in scoring position, with Valdiviezo going 2-for-2 in the category.
- Kasey Flores and Riley Lunsford finished with five RBI each in the three-game series.
- Going 1-for-4 at the plate, Tiarra Delrosario leads the Lady Chaps actively with hits in five straight games.
HISTORICAL NOTE
LCU moved to 8-4 all-time against MSU, as they claimed their sixth and seventh consecutive wins in the all-time series. The Lady Chaps also improved to 5-0 all-time in Wichita Falls against MSU.
WHAT'S NEXT:
The Lady Chaps return home Saturday to host Texas Woman's at 6 p.m. to open a three-game LSC series at Maner Park.
