LUBBOCK, Texas (April 11, 2023) – Lubbock Christian scored early and often enough throughout the first six innings of Tuesday night's midweek matchup with Wayland Baptist to survive the Pioneers' furious comeback attempt, winning 11-9 at Hays Field
 
It was the second and final non-conference game of the season for the Chaps, who improve to 22-16 overall. It was LCU's first win over WBU since March 24, 2015.
 
Freshman Logan Moore started on the mound in a day where the Chaps used eight pitchers, making his first collegiate appearance. He was a little shaky in the first inning, but stranded a runner at third and worked a three-up, three-down second.
 
The Chaps quickly took the lead in the bottom of the second on a Hayden Blair double that scored Chris Shull, and they would never relinquish it.
 
LCU scored again in the third, this time plating two runs. Eduardo Acosta walked and came around on a wild pitch, followed closely by Nate Van Maanen, who single and scored on a Jarred Gibson single. Van Maanen had the best day at the plate of any Chap, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two driven in to get to 51 RBI on the season.
 
The runs kept coming in the fourth. Caden Hensley scored when Carson Ogilvie got himself caught in a rundown while Hensley was on third. Ogilvie ended up getting out of the pickle and scoring on a Brevin McCool double himself. Van Maanen capped off the inning with a two-run, opposite field home run.
 
Wayland Baptist finally got on the board in the top of the fifth with a pair of runs off Josh Akers, but the LCU southpaw got out of the jam with a strikeout of Matt Unangst. The Chaps were finally held scoreless in the fifth, but the scored four final runs – which proved very important – in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Hensley once again led off with a walk, moving al the way to third on a failed pickoff attempt, where Ogilvie promptly drove him in. The McCool homered over the 380 marker in left center to score himself and Ogilvie. Van Maanen got on base again, and Gibson again drove in the runner for LCU's final total of 11.
 
Just when it seemed like the game was out of reach for the Pioneers, they came storming back, thanks to a grand slam from Samuel Fablan in the top of the seventh. They added another run in the eighth before Stoney Rhodes induced a double play to end the frame and were down just four in the top of the ninth with Parker Rumsey on the mound for just his third collegiate pitching appearance.
 
Rumsey ran into some quick trouble, allowing a single and a home run that trimmed his lead to just two. He got the next two batters though, and worked around a two out walk to get a flyout to end the game.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
47 | With Van Maanen and McCool leaving the yard, the Chaps now have 47 home runs on the season, tied for the second-most in the LSC and only one off the conference lead
.214 | The Pioneers actually out-hit the Chaps in the loss, batting .333 as a team, but they struggled in clutch situations, collecting just three hits in 14 chances with runners in scoring position for a .214 batting average and leaving 12 runners on base
2014 | March 25, 2014 was the last time Lubbock Christian beat Wayland Baptist at Hays Field before this win
 
NEXT UP
Lubbock Christian has a big road series this weekend, as they travel to Austin to take on St. Edward's in four games at Lucian Hamilton Field.