LUBBOCK, Texas (April 25, 2026) – Lubbock Christian University beat UT Permian Basin twice on Saturday, taking a lead 2-1 lead in the final series of the regular season.
 
The Chaps used a an eight-run second inning in the first game on the way to a 11-3 win. They took an early lead in game two as well with three runs in the first, holding off the Falcons to win 7-4.
 
Lubbock Christian is now 30-19, reaching the 30-win mark for the fifth consecutive season and the 20^th time under head coach Nathan Blackwood.
 
GAME ONE
Both teams went scoreless in the first inning before Lubbock Christian took control in the bottom of the second. They sent 11 batters to the plate in the frame and scored eight times.
 
Ryan Gargett got things going with a triple to deep center field, setting the stage for Carlos Mauldin's RBI single that put the first run on the board. Aaron Morales walked, and Tanner Pachorek launched a three-run homer, extending the lead. Freddie Nolen singled, and Kyle Lewis followed with a two-run homer to left field. Hudson Grace doubled, and Jorge De Los Santos singled, eventually scoring on Owen Alsup's two-RBI single up the middle. The Chaps led 8-0 after the second inning.
 
In the third inning, UTPB got to Aaron Rubio for the first time with a sacrifice fly by Demetrius Deramus, but the lone run was all the Chap starter allowed. He pitched a scoreless fourth to end his day, earning his eighth win of the season.
 
The Chaparrals added another run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Alsup singled down the right field line, bringing home De Los Santos.
 
The Falcons responded in the fifth inning as Landon Abrahamson took the mound, with Deramus again getting an RBI groundout but Abrahamson stranded runners at the corners to keep the Chaps well ahead.  
 
They then extended their lead further in the sixth inning. Lewis was hit by a pitch, stole two bases, and scored on a groundout by Grace. De Los Santos doubled and scored on Alsup's sacrifice fly to make the score 11-2.
 
UTPB managed one more run in the seventh inning with an RBI single by Kaegan Costa, but Tate Thompson closed out the 11-3 win with a strikeout of Andrew Prado.
 
Aaron Rubio pitched four innings, allowing just four hits and one earned run, while striking out a pair. Rubio threw 65 pitches, with 42 strikes, moving to 8-1 on the year. Landon Abrahamson contributed two innings, giving up one hit and one earned run, with three strikeouts and two walks.
 
GAME TWO
Lubbock Christian jumped to an even earlier lead in the second game, plating three runs in the first. Lewis was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and Grace also found his way on base with a hit by pitch. Jorge De Los Santos walked, setting the stage for Owen Alsup, who doubled to left field, driving in two runs. Aaron Morales followed with a single to bring home Alsup, giving the Chaps a 3-0 lead after the first inning.
 
In the second inning, the Chaparrals extended their lead. Freddie Nolen walked, and a throwing error allowed Lewis to reach base. Grace then hit a ground-rule double to score Nolen. De Los Santos grounded out but drove in Lewis. This offensive burst put the Chaps ahead 5-0 through two innings.e
 
UTPB broke through with a home run by Gael Bernal in the third inning, getting to LCU starter Bryce Nall for the first time and pulling within four.
 
The Chaps added another run in the fourth inning. After a hit by pitch to De Los Santos, Alsup singled to left center, bringing De Los Santos home.
 
UTPB narrowed the gap again in the fifth with a solo home run by Joshua Estrada and a run-scoring groundout by Bernal. The Falcons pulled within two in the sixth with another run off Nall, but LCU got it back, adding insurance on a pair of doubles from Lewis and De Los Santos.
 
Tyler Sudderth came in to close out the game and worked around a one-out single to earn his second save of the season.
 
Nall pitched six innings, allowing five hits, four runs, while striking out four. He threw 91 pitches, 61 of which were strikes, as he improved to 6-1 on the mound.
 
GAME NOTES

• Owen Alsup is batting .556 on the weekend with a .615 on-base percentage and seven RBI
• Rubio lowered his ERA to 3.68, which is the fourth-lowest among qualified Lone Star Conference pitchers
• After going homer-less in his first 39 games played this season, LCU infielder Tanner Pachorek has now left the yard three times in the last five games. He is batting .353 with an .882 slugging percentage in that time
• The Chaps have gone three straight games without committing an error. It is the first time this season that they have even gone back-to-back games without an error
• Tyler Sudderth's save in the second game of the doubleheader was the 10^th this season by a Chaparral pitcher. They have only had more twice in the NCAA era (2024, 2018).

 
NEXT UP
Lubbock Christian will try and close out the regular season with a win on Sunday as they host the Falcons at 1 p.m. at Hays Field. The Senior Day Ceremony will begin at 12:40 p.m. LCU needs to win and have St. Edward's lose to UT Dallas in order to move up to the No. 4 seed in the LSC Tournament and host next weekend.