LUBBOCK Texas (March 18, 2023) – Kasey Flores connected on her 50^th career home run and her two-out two-run home run was part of a three-run fifth inning, which propelled No.11 Lubbock Christian University to a 7-3 win over St. Mary's to complete the three-game Lone Star Conference sweep at Maner Park.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Game: LCU 7, StMU 3
Records: LCU (24-8, 14-7), StMU (20-10, 10-8)
Location: Lubbock, Texas (Maner Park)
Time of Game: 1:45
Weather: 42-Partly Cloudy, W-8mph to home plate
 
LCU Highlights:

• Kasey Flores – 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI
• Riley Flores – 2-for-3, 2 RBI
• Tiarra Delrosario – 1-for-4, 2B, RBI

Turning Point:
Berkeley Quinn's one-out bunt for a hit in the fifth inning, broke a string of nine consecutive hitless batters to plate and started a three-run fifth inning to break a 2-2 tie.

How it Happened:
For the first time in the series, LCU scored first, as Riley Flores and Sydney Bowlin each hit two-out RBI-singles for a 2-0 lead. StMU tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth inning with a two-run single hit by Raegan Tennill.
 
Eight consecutive Lady Chaps batters had been retired until Berkeley's bunt with one out in the fifth inning. Delrosario scored Quinn on a double hit down the left field line. With two outs in the inning, Kasey Flores hit a line drive two-run home over the centerfield wall for a 5-2 advantage.
 
LCU grabbed some insurance in the sixth inning, as Kamryn Gibbs, Victoria Owens and Riley Flores led off the inning with singles. Riley Flores' single scored a run and Owens scored on an error to complete the LCU scoring.

Inside the Numbers:

• Maxine Valdez pitched the final three innings in relief and entered the game when tied 2-2 to claim the win. She improved to 10-2 on the season (29-11 in her career), as she allowed one run on two hits and struck out two batters in three innings. She opened her appearance by retiring the first seven batters she faced. She allowed a hit in the seventh inning (with one out), which ended a sequence of 7.2 innings pitched without allowing a hit.
• Ashlinn Hamilton started in the circle and went 4.0 innings allowing two runs off two hits. She retired the first nine batters she faced.
• Tiarra Delrosario led LCU in this season's series with StMU with five hits (5-for-9, .556) and improved to 8-for-16 in five career games against the Rattlers. In her 1-for-4 performance, Saturday she had an RBI, which was her first RBI of her career against StMU.
• Kasey Flores had her team-leading 14^th multi-RBI game of the season, as she had two RBI off her two-out home run. The home run was her 50^th career home run and the 10^th of the season. The NCAA now has 13 active players with at least 50 career home runs, as Flores is now part of that list. Her home run also helped add to her totals in the series, as she went 4-for-9 in the series with six RBI and four of the RBI were two-out RBI (LCU had 13 two-out RBI in the series). Flores extended her lead on the club with 20 two-out RBI this season (next closest is Hope Banales with 12).
• Hope Banales went 1-for-3 and extended her hit streak to nine games, which is the longest streak by a Lady Chaps member this season. She also extended her streak to reaching base safely to 11 games, which actively leads the team and matches Berkeley Quinn and Skylar Herrera's team leading mark this season.
• LCU is now 15-2 when errorless and they are 9-0 when the opponents commit two or more errors.
• Riley Flores was 2-for-2 with runners on base, as the team was 6-for-14 in the category.
• StMU was 1-for-7 in leadoff at-bats (getting the runner aboard) and were 0-for-7 in two-out at-bats.

 
HISTORICAL NOTE
With LCU's victory, the all-time series is now tied 21-21, as LCU has won the last four meetings and eight of the last 10 games. LCU is also 13-5 all-time at Maner Park against StMU.

WHAT'S NEXT:
The Lady Chaps head to Silver City, N.M. for a three-game LSC series, which begins with a Tuesday doubleheader at 1 p.m. (CT) from Mustang Softball Field.