LUBBOCK, Texas (April 7, 2023) – The Chaps and Javelinas matched up for games two and three of the weekend series on Friday, splitting a pair of tightly contest games. LCU won 2-1 in the top half of the doubleheader behind a complete game from Ayden Alger and just fell short of a comeback in a 4-3 loss in game two.

Lubbock Christian is now 20-16 on the season and 19-16 in Lone Star Conference play and will try to win the series against Texas A&M-Kingsville in the finale on Saturday.
 
GAME ONE
The first game was completed in a brisk one hour and 45 minutes, thank to the stellar pitching of Alger for the Chaps and Luis Martinez for the Javelinas. Both tossed a complete games and pitched well for their respective squads.
 
LCU got on the board first and did so incredibly quickly, using a first pitch triple from Carson Ogilvie and a groundout from Brevin McCool to go up 1-0 in the first. The Chaps had two more hits in the inning, but left runners stranded on the corners.
 
The Javelinas got the run back in the next frame, but Alger kept them from taking the lead by striking out back-to-back batters to leave runners at second and third. From there, the two starting pitchers stayed locked in a duel, with neither blinking through the third, fourth and fifth.
 
Lubbock Christian put two on with one out in the third, but a double play ended the inning. In the fifth TAMUK seem poised to take the lead, loading the bases with no outs. A flyout to left was the first of the inning, and when the runner from third tried to tag up and score, Eduardo Acosta gunned him down at the plate.
 
The Chaps finally pushed back in front in the bottom of the sixth, when Acosta singled to lead off. He moved to second on a groundout, third on a wild pitch, and came in to score on a Javelina error.
 
Alger gave up a leadoff single in the top of the seventh, but struck out the next batter and induced a double play to end the game.
 
GAME TWO
It was Texas A&M-Kingsville's turn to go up early in game two, as they plated two runs off Chap starter Ryan Markwardt in the top of the first. The damage could have been worse, with the Javelinas loading the bases with one out, but LCU's lefty starter got back-to-back swinging strikeouts to end the frame.
 
LCU's offense could not get much going against TAMUK's game two starter Colten Taylor, recording just one hit (a double from Chris Shull) through the first four frames. Meanwhile, the Javelinas added two more runs to lead 4-0 after the top of the third.
 
The Chaps finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth. The first three batters reached base, with a run coming across after Hayden Blair singled. A Caden Hensley sacrifice fly plated the second run.
 
LCU's third run came in the sixth, with McCool singling to leadoff and getting all the way to third with just one out. Marco Martinez came on in relief for TAMUK and gave up a single to plate the run, but he got the final two outs of the sixth
 
Still trying to come back in the seventh, Jake Sherrard pinch hit and laid down a perfect bunt single, advancing to second on an error, but he would be stranded there.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.133 | Lubbock Christian was 2-15 with runners in scoring position in the two games combine, including 0-6 in the 2-1 win
7 | Both Alger and Markwardt went the distance in their outings. It is the third complete game of the season for Alger, the second for Markwardt and complete games number six and seven for the Chaps as a team
0 | The Chaps and Javelinas went a combined 0-26 when hitting with two outs on the day