Lady Chaps Rally In Pair of Wins

TUCSON (March 17, 2010) – Lubbock Christian University played from behind in each of their games Wednesday morning at the Tucson Invitational Games, but the No. 5 Lady Chaparrals rebounded in each of them to defeat Missouri Valley College 10-2 and No.23 Savannah College of Art & Design (Ga.) 7-3 from Lincoln Park.

In the opener against Missouri Valley, the Vikings took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning due in part to a triple by Janie Jungermann.  LCU then went on to score 10 unanswered in the game.  Kayla Van Dieren hit a single up the middle to start the LCU scoring in the bottom half of the second inning.  LCU rattled off three runs in the third with four hits capped by a double from Clarissa Maldonado.  In the fourth inning, Priscilla FaGaines connected with a three-run home run for her 13^th home run of the season.  The homer highlighted a four-run inning for LCU.  They closed out the game with a run in the fifth and sixth innings to win via the run-rule in the sixth inning. 

Amanda Myers and FaGaines each had three hits in the win for LCU, with FaGaines claiming four runs-batted-in.  Jungermann had three hits for MVC to lead the Vikings (10-9) in the loss.  Jori Rodgers earned the win pitching for LCU, improving to 11-0, as she allowed two runs on seven hits in six innings pitched. 

In their game against SCAD, LCU fell behind in the second inning following a solo home run by Jaime Voelkel. LCU responded in the bottom half of the second inning with a four-run inning.  Cori Enriquez and Kim Frazier each had a double in the inning and Van Dieren scored a pair of runs with a triple in the inning.  The Bees manufactured a run in the third inning to cut LCU’s lead to 4-2, but the Lady Chaps built the lead back up with a trio of runs in the third inning.  Van Dieren hit her second triple of the game in the inning for another pair of runs-batted-in and LCU led 7-2.  Kristen Curette scored the game’s only other run with a lead-off solo home run for SCAD in the top of the sixth inning.

SCAD (18-7) out-hit LCU 11-8, but half of LCU’s hits were for extra bases.  Alyssa Gutierrez claimed the win with a complete game in the circle to improve to 13-2 on the season.  She allowed three runs on 11 hits and struck out eight batters.  Van Dieren finished 2-for-3 with four runs-batted-in for LCU.

LCU completed the Tucson Invitational Games with a 5-1 record and they are now 19-1 all-time in the annual event.  FaGaines finished this season’s event going 10-for-21 (.476) with three home runs and 10 runs-batted-in.  Enriquez led the team in hits with 11 in 21 at-bats for a .524 batting average.

The two wins Wednesday improved LCU to 26-2 on the season.  They return home to host Mid-America Christian University Saturday for a Sooner Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday with a noon first-pitch from PlainsCapital Park.