Lady Chaps Split Monday's Action

Priscilla FaGaines

TUCSON (March 15, 2010) – Lubbock Christian University has always been able to find success playing in the Tucson Invitational Games.  The No.5 Lady Chaparrals opened play Monday in their third consecutive season participating in the annual event, but their winning trend of a 14-0 all-time record in the event hit a snag at Lincoln Park.  They opened play with a 6-1 loss to No.2 Dickinson State University (N.D.), but did rebound following the loss with a 16-0 win over Nebraska Wesleyan University.

In the opener against the Blue Hawks, Sara Jane Webster of DSU and Alyssa Gutierrez of LCU, who were each 2009 First Team NAIA All-Americans, were in a pitchers duel throughout most of the game.  LCU did strike first with Kim Frazier doubling to lead off the top of the fourth inning.  She eventually scored on a single by Priscilla FaGaines.  LCU was unable to add to the lead in the game and in the inning, as FaGaines was later thrown out on a throw from left fielder Taysia Kaufman to home plate on a hit by Amanda Parsons.  DSU rallied for the comeback win in the bottom of the fifth inning with five runs.  The Blue Hawks produced five singles and a double by Danielle Crawford in the inning to provide DSU all the runs they needed.  Jori Rodgers came in to pitch the sixth inning for LCU but a lead-off walk led to a run after Nickie Youngblood doubled in the run to close the scoring.

Gutierrez suffered the loss and is 12-2 on the season.  She allowed five runs off nine hits in the defeat.  Webster improved to 3-0 for the 3-3 Blue Hawks, holding LCU to a run off seven hits.  Cori Enriquez was 3-for-4 in the losing cause for LCU.

The Lady Chaps had no problems rebounding from the loss in the second game, as they scored 16 runs off 15 hits and combined for five home runs in the offensive onslaught over Nebraska Wesleyan.  The Lady Chaps scored in every inning, led by an eight-run fourth inning that led to the game being called after the top half of the fifth inning.  Rodgers pitched the first four innings for LCU and improved to 9-0 after allowing just three hits.  Brandi Luck pitched a scoreless inning as well for the Lady Chaps.  Five different Lady Chaps had multi-hit games and they received home runs from FaGaines, Parsons, Latainna Eltsosie, Kayla Van Dieren and Frazier.  The home run for Kim Frazier is her NAIA leading 21^st of the season.

The Lady Chaps (22-2) remain in Tucson Tuesday and will play Missouri Valley College at 1 p.m. and Minot State University (N.D.) at 3 p.m.  Both games can be heard online at www.lcuchaps.com and live scoring is also available.