Chaps Split With Rams

LUBBOCK, Texas (March 9, 2010) – Lubbock Christian University starting pitchers Tristan Gaines and Shane Ingram combined for four hits allowed in nine shutout innings, but the No.1 Chaparrals split a Tuesday doubleheader with NCAA Div. II Angelo State University losing the opener 10-4 and winning the second game 9-1 at Hays Field.

Tristan Gaines pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits for the Chaps, but LCU missed several opportunities at extending a 3-0 lead.  The Chaps left ten runners stranded in the opener.  Ross Blondin produced a two-out single to score Joe Staley in the first inning and Austin Stewart hit a two-run single in the second inning for their 3-0 lead, but missed several opportunities to extend the lead.  JJ Muse grounded into a double-play with runners at the corners and one out in the third inning, and Marc Gomez and Joe Staley each hit ground balls to second base in the fourth inning to leave a pair of Chaps stranded.  The missed opportunities caught up to them late in the game.

In the sixth inning with two outs and the bases loaded, Austin Lasprilla hit a grand slam home run over the centerfield fence off LCU reliever Hunter Scott to give ASU the lead 4-3.  In the bottom half of the inning, LCU was able to get two runners aboard with Stewart reaching on a two-out single, Gomez reaching on a third-strike passed ball.  A balk on former Texas Tech pitcher Sam Janca allowed pinch runner Brett Kazmierski to advance to third base and Christian Soberanes, running for Gomez, advanced to second base.  Janca’s ball-four against Staley reached the backstop and Kazmierski attempted to score on the loose ball, but catcher Cade Baxter chased down the ball and tossed the ball to Janca covering home plate and he tagged Kazmierski out to maintain the lead heading into the seventh inning.

The Rams received all the insurance they needed in the seventh inning, as Scott was unable to get out of the inning.  Two base hits, a trio of walks and an error on short stop David Cruz allowed the Rams to score three runs and extend the lead to 7-3.  Tanner Vickers relieved Scott with the bases loaded, but could not stop the bleeding.  He hit a batter and surrendered a two-run single to Zach Klink before finally getting Nick Adams to strike out to end the six-run Rams top of the seventh inning for a 10-3 lead.  Muse hit a two-run single in the bottom half of the innings, but it would be all the Chaps would get and they fell 10-4.

Scott suffered the loss (4-2), allowing 10 runs in 1 2/3 innings pitched.  Janca was credited with the win (1-0) in relief.  Stewart finished 3-for-4 with a pair of runs-batted-in in the loss.  Lasprilla’s slam gave him a 2-for-4 performance with four runs-batted-in.

It was Shane Ingram in the second game for the Chaps that silenced the Rams hitters.  He went four scoreless innings and allowed just one hit in the process.  The Chaps gave him a 5-0 lead to work with after a five-run first inning.  ASU starting pitcher Scott Crook, who shutdown the Chaps earlier in the season, was unable to record an out in five batters faced to start the game.  Blondin drove in a pair of runs in the first inning and Crook was quickly replaced by Corey Moorehouse.  LCU added to the lead in the inning with a run scoring on one of four Rams errors in the game and Richard Bohlken scoring a pair with a bases-loaded double.  Bohlken was thrown out trying to extend his double to a triple and was thrown out prior to David Cruz crossing home plate, so the Chaps were held to a 5-0 lead.   Vickers replaced Ingram and pitched two hitless shutout innings, and the Chaps extended their lead in the fifth inning with a four-run inning.  The Chaps registered five consecutive hits against Rams reliever Clark McFarland, highlighted by a two-run hit by Bohlken for a four-RBI performance.  The Chaps took a 9-0 lead into the seventh inning, but the Rams wouldn’t settle for a shutout.  Kevin Burns took the mound for LCU in the seventh inning and was greeted with a trio of singles, with Lasprilla hitting a single to drive in the only Rams run of the game.

Ingram improved to 3-0 on the season with the win.  Crook fell to 2-2 with the loss.  The Chaps pitchers held ASU to four hits in the game and had a span of 11 batters faced without giving up a hit.

The first loss ended the Chaps six-game win streak and the LCU victory in the second game ended ASU’s four-game win streak.  The teams split the season series (2-2) and the doubleheader split Tuesday places LCU’s record at 17-7 on the season and ASU with a 14-11 mark on the year.

LCU returns to action Friday with a doubleheader against Oklahoma Christian University beginning with a 3 p.m. first pitch at Hays Field.  Friday’s Sooner Athletic Conference doubleheader can be viewed online through www.lcuchaps.com presented by www.sportcamtv.com and Stretch Internet (www.stretchinternet.com).  Live online audio and live scoring links are also available.