Witty Whitmore...Chaps Top Bison

Photo by Michael Hardin

LEWISTON, Idaho (May 27, 2011) – Lucas Whitmore was spectacular on the mound for No.6-seed Lubbock Christian University, as the southpaw held No.3-seed Oklahoma Baptist University to a two-hit shutout for 8.1 innings and the Chaparrals upset their Sooner Athletic Conference foes 7-2 in the opening round of the 2011 Avista NAIA World Series at Harris Field.

Whitmore had a no-hitter through 3.2 innings, not allowing a hit until the 13^th batter faced.  He would go through another 13 batters until allowing a second hit.  OBU’s Michael Sliger had a pair of OBU’s three hits and his second came with one out in the ninth inning, as Whitmore was approaching a complete game shutout.  Sliger’s hit in the ninth inning was a two-run home run.  It was his ninth home run of the season and his fourth against the Chaps.  With Whitmore over 100 pitches thrown and the pursuit for a complete game shutout vanished, Chaps head coach Nathan Blackwood replaced Whitmore with Tyler Curtis, who registered the final two outs to seal the win.  Whitmore claimed the win (10-2) and struck out nine batters in the process.

While Whitmore was dealing for the Chaps on the mound, his offense was supplying him a comfortable lead.  LCU produced 14 hits in the game, with eight of the nine starters in the line-up producing at least one hit.  Six Chaparrals had multi-hit efforts, including Austin Stewart, who had a pair of doubles for two of LCU’s three extra-base hit.  Chandler Griffin had the other, with a two-out double in the seventh inning, which had followed Stewart’s second double of the game. 

The Chaps jumped on Bison starting pitcher Richie Mirowski early.  Mirowski (11-2), making his third start of the season against LCU, allowed three hits in the first inning and a ground out by Ryan Meade led to a 1-0 lead.  Brent Leslie produced a single in the fourth inning to score a pair of runs and it extended LCU’s lead to 3-0.  Stewart added to the lead with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning and Cruz followed with a run scoring single.  Karl Seiter closed LCU’s scoring with a single through the right side with two outs in the eighth inning.

LCU went 7-for-16 at the plate with two outs, with Griffin going 2-for-2 with an RBI when batting with two outs.  The Chaps were also successful scoring a runner home from third base with less than two outs three out of four times in the game.  The Chaps also displayed some outstanding defense in the game.  Griffin made a sliding catch in foul territory heading into the fence for one of LCU’s five put-outs in foul territory. 

The Chaps improve their all-time record in World Series play to 20-16 and their overall record improves to 47-12.  Oklahoma Baptist, making their first World Series appearances since 1996, fell for a fifth consecutive time in World Series play and they are 2-5 all-time.  The Bison go to 45-13 on the season.

The meeting between the two teams was their fifth meeting of the season and the first away from Lubbock.  LCU has won three of the meetings.  The Chaps are now 2-0 all-time against SAC teams in World Series play.

Friday could have marked the first of an eventual two games against SAC competition for the Chaps.  LCU is not scheduled to play until 9 p.m. (CST) Monday evening, where they will face the winner of Saturday’s game featuring Oklahoma City University and Lewis-Clark State College.