Lady Chaps Sweep Lady Cavs

SHAWNEE, Okla. (April 21, 2011) – No.7 Lubbock Christian University rallied for a 5-4 win in extra innings and cruised 14-2 in the second game to complete a doubleheader sweep over St. Gregory’s University in Sooner Athletic Conference play Thursday.  The wins extended LCU’s win streak to 14 games.

LCU trailed 3-1 going into the top of the sixth inning of the opener and started their comeback with Priscilla FaGaines hitting a two-out double to score Amanda Longorio.  Kayla Van Dieren had a chance to give LCU the lead but her line drive to left field was caught by a great defensive play by Emily Ledinski.  In the seventh inning, LCU produced four hits and Stephanie Rendon hit a single to tie the game at 3-3.  LCU nearly took the lead in the top of the seventh inning, but the Lady Cavaliers turned a pair of fielders choices with put-outs at home plate to prevent any further runs.  SGU had the winning run at third base in the bottom half of the inning, but a ground out got LCU out of the jam and forced extra innings.  With two outs in the eighth inning, Kim Frazier singled to left centerfield to give LCU their first lead of the game at 4-3.  Latainna Eltsosie followed with a single and the lead was extended to 5-3.  In the bottom of the eighth inning, SGU tried to rally back.  A pair of groundouts led to a run scoring, but it would be their lone run of the inning and the Lady Chaps escaped with the win.

Eltsosie produced a trio of hits in the win for LCU.  Longorio claimed the win in the circle.  She pitched 3.2 innings in relief and allowed an unearned run off two hits. Longorio improved to 8-0.  Devon Frazier fell to 5-3 with the loss.  She threw 129 pitches and allowed three earned runs off 10 hits.

LCU would have little suspense in the second game.  After Kim Frazier hit a double to score a run in the top of the first inning, the Lady Cavs responded with a two-run home run from Ledinski for a SGU 2-1 lead.  LCU would go on to score 12 unanswered runs.  Frazier would hit her 51^st career home run (16^th of the season) in the third inning to give LCU a 3-2 lead. LCU produced three runs off five hits in the fourth inning and added a run in the fifth inning before pounding out nine hits leading to seven runs in the top of the seventh inning. 

While Lady Chaps starting pitcher Alyssa Freight allowed two runs off just two hits in a complete game effort to improve to 10-2 on the season, their offense produced 22 hits.  Van Dieren had four of the hits in a 4-for-5 effort at the plate.  Frazier went 2-for-5 with three RBI.  Her home run moves her into a share of second place on the NAIA’s all-time career home run list with Melissa Dowlen of Athens State (Ala.), who hit 51 from 1991-1995.  Frazier is one away from tying Lindsey Bredar, who hit 52 home runs from 2002-2005 at Bellevue (Neb.).

The Lady Chaps are 18-4 in conference play with the win and they are 41-6 overall on the season.  SGU dropped to 23-21 overall and 6-16 in SAC play.  LCU travels to Alva, Okla. to face Northwestern Oklahoma State University at noon Friday.