LUBBOCK, Texas - Nate Van Maanen tied the school record for RBI in a game and
Carson Ogilvie hit for the cycle, as the Chaps rolled to a 25-8 victory over Oklahoma Christian on Sunday, Mar. 5.
It was the Eagles (8-9, 8-8 LSC) taking the early lead, as a two-RBI double from Marcus Johnson gave OC a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Hunter Jones got in on the action for the Eagles later in the frame, as his two-RBI double scored a pair to swell the lead to 4-0. Jones came home to score on the next at-bat, as a Hank Heiselbetz single brought him in, and the frame ended with Oklahoma Christian on top 5-0.
The Chaps (13-7, 13-7 LSC) quickly answered in the bottom of the first, as a
Chris Shull RBI single scored Ogilvie to cut the lead down to 5-1. Van Maanen brought Shull home two batters later, with an RBI-single down the line to score the second run of the day for Lubbock Christian. A wild pitch from Blake Empkey allowed Van Maanen to score on a close play at the plate, and the inning ended with LCU down 5-3.
After drawing a leadoff walk in the bottom of the second inning,
Ryan Ball came in to score thanks to a double down the left field line from
Hayden Blair, and a ground-rule double from Ogilvie scored Blair, and the Chaps tied the game at five runs apiece. LCU took the lead on the next at-bat, thanks to an RBI-double from Shull to bring home Ogilvie and put the Chaps on top 6-5. A two-run home run to dead centerfield from Van Maanen ended the inning, and Lubbock Christian pushed ahead 8-6.
Ball singled in the bottom of the third, and after an OC error, came in to score to make it 9-6. Ogilvie blew the game open for the Chaps with a two-run home run to left center, and LCU swelled the lead to 11-5. The dingers did not stop for the Chaps in the frame, as Van Maanen hit his second home run of the day, a three-run bomb to centerfield, and the Chaparrals pulled ahead to 14-5.
The game became out of reach in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Ogilvie clinched the cycle with a leadoff triple. A Shull RBI single brought him in from third, and the Chaps went ahead 15-5. For the third straight at-bat, Van Maanen sent a ball over the wall, another three-run blast to left field, and the lead swelled to 18-5. The inning continued after an Eagle error, and a Blair RBI-single scored
Bo Hogeboom.
Sam Shank doubled on his next at-bat, and the Chaps went up 20-8 after Ball came in to score. Shull added his second, third, and fourth RBI of the inning, knocking his sixth home run of the season over the left field wall to put LCU on top 23-5. Another RBI single from Van Maanen scored
Eduardo Acosta, and a
Merritt McPherson RBI-single brought home Van Maanen to end the inning, and the Chaps went ahead 25-5.
Jaren Hill hit an RBI double in the top of the sixth, and RBI singles from Justin Spencer and Elijah Woods in the top of the seventh gave the Eagles some late runs, but it was nowhere near enough, as the Chaps rolled to a 25-8 victory to take the series.
The 25 runs scored by Lubbock Christian are the most runs scored by the Chaps in a game since knocking off Newman 28-1 on Mar. 29, 2019. With 11 runs scored in the bottom of the fifth inning, it is the most runs scored in a single frame by the Chaparral offense since scoring 12 runs in the bottom of the fifth against the Jets in that game. It is the most runs scored by LCU ever in a Lone Star Conference game, beating out the 23 runs scored against Oklahoma Christian on May 8, 2021, a 23-13 victory, and 23 runs scored against UTPB on Apr. 23, 2022, a 23-5 win for the Chaps.
Van Maanen finished 5-for-5 with 10 RBI, three home runs, and five runs scored. He ties the school record for RBI in a single game set by Britt Harper on Feb. 9, 2000, a 23-4 win for the Chaps over Eastern New Mexico. He is also the first Chaparral to hit three home runs in a game since
Larry Leitha did so on May 8, 2021, oddly enough also against Oklahoma Christian.
Ogilvie went 4-for-5, hitting for the cycle with a single, a double, a triple, and a home run, the first Chap to do so since Caleb Koedyker did so against Oklahoma Panhandle State on Apr. 13, 2017. Ogilvie finished with four runs and three RBI.
Shull was perfect at the plate for the Chaps, going 5-for-5 with six RBI, a home run, and five runs scored. Acosta was also solid at the dish for LCU, going 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Blair went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, while Ball went 2-for-2, drawing two walks, and scoring three runs.
Marcos Escalera (1-1) earned the win for the Chaps, going 5.0 innings, allowing five runs off seven hits, walking four and striking out six. Koi Carillo pitched an inning in relief, allowing one unearned run off a hit and striking out a batter.
Tyler Manyo closed out the contest for LCU, pitching the top of the seventh inning, allowing two unearned runs off two hits, walking two batters and striking out two more.
The Chaps will head on the road to San Antonio, facing St. Mary's in a four-game conference series next weekend. First pitch for game one is set for 6:00 PM on Friday, Mar. 10.
