LUBBOCK, Texas (February 15, 2025) – Lubbock Christian got a great outing from left-hander Ryan Markwardt in game one and collected 19 hits in game two, sweeping Saturday's doubleheader with Oklahoma Christian 9-0 and 16-5 on Saturday.
 
By taking both ends of the doubleheader, the Chaparrals (7-4, 7-4) have already claimed the series win against the Eagles (1-6, 1-6) and will go for their second-straight sweep on Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
GAME ONE
 It was a pitcher's duel to start the day as LCU's top returning starting pitcher Markwardt faced off against reigning Lone Star Conference and South Central Region Pitcher of the Week Tristan Copeland for OC. The matchup lived up to the billing through the first four frames.
 
Oklahoma Christian threatened in the first inning, getting a double on a grounder through the left side and a hit by pitch to put runners at the corners with just one out. But Adam Garcia gunned down one runner trying to steal second and Markwardt struck out Reed Carroll looking to end the inning.
 
The Eagles would not put another runner on base for the remainder of the game.
 
Markwardt retired the next 19 straight batters, striking out eight more (five of those looking) and fielding his position well with three assists off the mound. It is the first complete game tossed by an LCU pitcher this season and tied for the second-most strikeouts Markwardt has had in a single game in his Chaparral career. The only time he had more was on Feb. 24, 2023, when he struck out 12 Arkansas-Fort Smith batters.
 
Copeland matched the Chap starter with zeroes, despite Lubbock Christian putting runners on in the second, third and fourth innings, and the dam finally broke in the fifth.
 
 Frayner Chavez doubled to start the frame and the Chaps loaded the bases, but with two outs. Jacob Gutierrez came through with the clutch hit, driving in two with a single. Johnny Gomez III followed with a single of his own, chasing Copeland from the game.
 
LCU greeted the reliever with three more hits, including a triple from Kyle Lewis, and led 7-0 by the time the frame ended.
 
The Chaps added a pair of runs in the sixth on a Gutierrez double and a groundout by Roe Forrest before Markwardt closed out the game in the seventh, striking out the final two batters he faced in his one-hitter masterpiece.
 
GAME TWO
Evan Roach got the ball in the nightcap and had his best outing of the season so far. After the Chaps scored one in the first, he surrendered two in the second before LCU took the lead for good.
 
Brevin McCool singled in the third to put Lubbock Christian on top, and they added four more runs in the frame. LCU continued to roll offensively, scoring in every inning of the game, including a six-spot in the fifth.
 
Every LCU starter reached base safely and eight of them scored runs, led by Kade York with four. McCool led in the RBI department, driving in six as he finished a home run shy of the cycle.
 
Roach left after getting two outs in the fifth, earning the win with only three earned runs allowed and three strikeouts. He was replaced by Griffin Binkley, who tossed an inning and a third of scoreless ball in his first appearance as a Chaparral. Alec Stanfield closed out the game in the ninth.
 
 
GAME NOTES
» Lubbock Christian hit .436 (17-39) with runners in scoring position throughout the doubleheader
» Since starting the season 0-4, LCU has won seven straight games. Their longest win streak last season was 13 games
» Markwardt has allowed just one run in his last 13 innings of work, lowering his ERA to 3.31 and his WHIP to just 0.92
» McCool was 5-for-7 with two walks on the day, raising his batting average to .543 and his on-base percentage to .604
» The Chaps finished the day with 12 two-out RBI