LUBBOCK, Texas (February 22, 2026) – Lubbock Christian University opened its home slate in dominant fashion, sweeping a Lone Star Conference doubleheader with a pair of run-rule victories at Maner Park. The Lady Chaparrals erupted for 23 runs on 26 hits and delivered three separate five-run innings, cruising to a 9-1 win in six innings and a 14-0 shutout in five innings Saturday.
 
GAME 1
Angelo State used a five-run fourth inning and home runs from Kylie Forney and Ashleigh Dendas to claim a 9-3 win in the opening game.
 
Angelo State improved to 14-4 overall, while Lubbock Christian slipped to 8-7 on the season. Dendas (7-1) earned the complete-game victory in the circle for the Rambelles, allowing three runs on five hits over seven innings with four walks and two strikeouts. Natalee Gray (3-1) took the loss for LCU after surrendering eight runs (six earned) on six hits in 3.2 innings of work.
 
Forney powered the Angelo State offense, finishing 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, three RBI and three runs scored. Dendas helped her own cause with a solo home run in the seventh, while Zoey Sifuentes added an RBI single. Larryn Feuge collected two hits as ASU totaled nine hits and drew five walks.
 
Lubbock Christian was led offensively by Kadin Vire, who went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Brianna Chambers-Lee added an RBI single, and Riley Flores and Ava Castillo each recorded a hit and scored a run.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Angelo State struck immediately in the top of the first when Forney led off the game with a solo home run to left field for a 1-0 advantage.
 
The Rambelles extended the lead in the third. After a leadoff walk to Taylor Haywood and another free pass to Forney, Karli Manney laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position. Tatiana Trotter reached on a throwing error that allowed Haywood to score, and Sifuentes followed with an RBI single to left to push the margin to 3-0.
 
Angelo State broke the game open in the fourth with five runs on three hits, aided by two LCU errors. A two-run double down the left-field line by Forney highlighted the inning, and Manney added an RBI groundout. Trotter later stole second, and Forney stole home during a double-steal sequence before another LCU error allowed the final run of the frame to score, giving ASU an 8-0 lead.
 
LCU responded in the fifth. Flores singled and stole third, and Castillo drew a walk to set the table. Vire delivered a two-run double to left-center to get the Lady Chaps on the board, and Chambers-Lee followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 8-3.
 
That would be as close as LCU would get. Dendas settled in to retire six of the final seven batters she faced, and she added insurance in the seventh with a solo home run to center field.
 
Ashlinn Hamilton provided 3.1 innings of relief for LCU, allowing one earned run while striking out four. However, the early deficit proved too much to overcome as Angelo State secured the 9-3 victory in the series opener.
 
GAME NOTES

» LCU was just 1-for-7 (.143) in leadoff at-bats in the game. Of LCU's five hits, four were with two outs.
 
GAME 2
A pair of seventh-inning home runs lifted No. 9 Angelo State to a 4-3 comeback victory over Lubbock Christian in the second game.
 
Angelo State improved to 15-4 overall (15-4 Lone Star Conference), while Lubbock Christian moved to 8-8 overall (4-2 LSC). Maddison Ruiz (3-3) earned the win in relief for the Rambelles, tossing 5.1 shutout innings and allowing just two hits with one walk and four strikeouts after entering in the second inning. Kendall Ward (2-2) suffered the loss for LCU, allowing three runs over the final two innings.
 
Zoey Sifuentes delivered the decisive blow with a two-run home run in the top of the seventh and finished 2-for-3 with three RBI. Ashleigh Dendas added a solo home run later in the frame. Kylie Forney reached base four times, going 2-for-2 with a double and two walks.
 
Lubbock Christian received two hits from Brianna Chambers-Lee, while Alexis Clark went 2-for-2 with an RBI and scored a run. Riley Flores also scored and reached base twice for the Lady Chaps.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Angelo State struck first in the opening inning. Forney led off with a double to left and later scored on a two-out RBI single by Sifuentes for a 1-0 lead.
 
LCU answered in the bottom half. Flores walked, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Alexis Pacheco and advanced to third on a groundout before Chambers-Lee singled to shallow center to tie the game at 1-1.
 
The Lady Chaps took control in the second inning. After Kenzie Kauk walked and Madison Hunter stole third as a pinch runner, Clark delivered an infield single to score Hunter. Flores followed with a single, and Pacheco added an RBI single to left to cap a two-run frame and give LCU a 3-1 advantage.
 
The pivotal sequence came in the bottom of the fourth. With Clark aboard and one out, Flores lifted a pop-up into shallow right field. The right fielder called off the first baseman but dropped the ball, and it deflected into the dugout entrance. The umpires initially ruled Clark scored and placed Flores at third, extending LCU's lead to 4-1. Angelo State filed a protest, and after a 20-minute delay, the umpires upheld the protest and ruled the play a dead ball treated as a ground-rule double. Flores was placed at second and Clark at third, erasing the run and restoring the score to 3-1. LCU was unable to capitalize, and the margin remained two.
 
Angelo State threatened in the middle innings but was turned away by Clark, who worked five innings and allowed just one run on four hits.
 
In the seventh, the Rambelles rallied against Ward. Tatiana Trotter was hit by a pitch to open the frame, and Sifuentes followed with a two-run home run to deep right field to tie the game at 3-3. Two batters later, Dendas connected on a solo shot to give Angelo State a 4-3 lead.
 
LCU's final opportunity was cut short in the bottom of the seventh. After Pacheco grounded out, Kadin Vire was hit by a pitch, but Chambers-Lee struck out swinging and Ava Castillo was caught stealing during the play to end the game.
 
Ruiz retired seven of the final eight batters she faced to secure the comeback victory, as the overturned fourth-inning run loomed large in the one-run decision.
 
GAME NOTES
» ASU had nine hits in the opener and ended with seven hits in the second game. LCU had gone seven straight games in which they had not allowed more than six hits.  
 
» Brianna Chambers-Lee went 2-for-3 in the contest and finished the doubleheader 3-for-6.
 
» Kadin Vire extended her hit streak to 12 games in the opener, but went hitless in the second game to end her hit streak. However, she did reach base safely in both games and has reached base safely in 13 consecutive gamers.
 
» The Lady Chaps dropped to 2-2 in home games this season.
 
» LCU fell to 0-4 this season in games against nationally ranked programs.

HISTORY LESSON
ASU increased their all-time advantage in the series to 17-8 and has won the last four meetings. LCU fell to 3-8 all-time at home against ASU.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
LCU heads to Oklahoma for a pair of LSC doubleheaders, playing at Oklahoma Christian Friday and at Cameron Sunday.