LCU opened with an opening round 310 before closing with a 320 in the tournament for a 630 two-round total.  The Chaps finished 69 strokes behind tournament winner Oklahoma City University, who LCU defeated in their prior tournament.  Trevor Turnbow had the Chaps best finish with a 149 (74,79) to rank tied for 34^th.  He was the only Chap to finish in the top-50 of the event.  Michael Milliken completed the tournament with a 157 (78,79) to finish tied for 66^th.  Other LCU golfers in the tournament were Landon Waters (77,81 = 158), Cosme Beamonte (81,85 = 166) and Jake Mahan (82,85 = 167).

Abilene Christian University’s Alex Carpenter claimed the individual title with a 136 (66,70) on the par-72, 6,847 lay-out.

The Chaps next tournament is scheduled for March 29^th at the Dallas Baptist University Classic held at The Golf Club of Dallas.

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.

Teams combined for 38 runs and 39 hits in the game, which marks the most combined runs in a game for LCU since a 27-17 win over Oklahoma Baptist on April 18, 2003. 

Oklahoma Christian wasted no time scoring first and working Chaps starting pitcher Tanner Vickers out of the game in the first inning.  The last time Vickers faced the Eagles in Lubbock was in 2008 and he allowed one run on two hits in six innings for the win.  He would not have the same success Saturday, as he lasted just 2/3 of the first inning.  Vickers faced eight batters and allowed five runs off four hits.  Only two of the runs were earned, as a pair of errors by shortstop David Cruz on misplayed pop-ups prolonged the Eagles half of the opening inning.  OC would end up scoring five runs in the inning.

LCU answered back with a two-out bases-loaded two-run single by Reid Chenworth to cut the deficit to 5-2.  After five hits in the opening inning for LCU, a comeback seemed promising, but the Eagles struck right back in the second inning.  Shane Ingram, who replaced Vickers in the first inning, couldn’t get out of the second inning after giving up two runs on two hits to the Eagles.  The Chaps matched the Eagles half with singles from Joe Staley and Dan Neumann scoring a run each, but the Chaps couldn’t match an eight-run third inning by the Eagles.  LCU pitcher Hunter Scott suffered the brunt of the Eagles damage in the inning by surrendering seven runs off five hits.

The Chaps were held off the board in the third inning and trailed 15-4 after three innings.  The Eagles had another explosive inning in the fifth inning with Joe White and Dillon Andrews hitting back-to-back triples serving as two of six hits in the inning leading to a six-run inning and a 22-7 lead.  LCU did rally by combining for 10 runs in the fourth inning through the sixth innings and trailed 22-14 heading into the seventh inning.  LCU reliever Kyle Wagner allowed a pair of singles in the seventh inning and walked a batter to load the bases with no outs.  Doug Kroll came into pitch and was able to hold the Eagles to a sacrifice fly and a run-scoring ground out before picking off Dillon Andrews to close the top of the seventh.  Justin Ebert retired the Chaps in order and it not only activated the run-rule, but he garnered the “two-inning” save since the game went seven innings and he pitched 2.1 innings of relief.

Dustin Andrews came away as the winning pitcher for OC (3-1).  He allowed 12 runs, but only five were earned.  Andrews pitched 4 2/3 innings and gave up 13 hits.  Of the 39 combined hits in the game, 11 were for extra bases, but there was only one home run in the game.  Neumann hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning for his third home run of the season.  Twenty-two of the hits were by OC. Taylor Parcus (4-for-4) and Tyler Gipson (4-for-6) each had four hits in the game for the Eagles.  They were two of eight players that had multi-hit performances.  Jeff Davis produced a game-high five runs-batted-in for the Eagles.  On the losing end, five Chaps had multi-hit performances.  Staley was 4-for-5 with four runs-batted-in and Neumann was 3-for-3 with four runs-batted-in.

Lubbock Christian went through seven pitchers in the game, with no one lasting longer than 1 1/3 innings.  The 24 runs allowed marked the most since allowing 24 against Oklahoma City University on May 6, 2004. The LCU pitchers combined for ten strikeouts and ten walks.  Each team committed four errors in the game.

Oklahoma Christian improved to 10-7 overall and 6-3 in the SAC with the win.  They were just 22-2 all-time in Lubbock entering the series.  LCU falls to 18-9 overall and 6-3 in the conference.  The Chaps head to Claremore, Okla. Thursday for a 2 p.m. doubleheader against Rogers State University.

In the opener, Oklahoma Christian produced nine of their 11 hits in the game with two outs, with all six of their runs coming with two-outs to give the Eagles their first win over LCU since April 29, 2000.  Both teams wasted scoring opportunities and it started in the first inning. Chaps starting pitcher Paul Gonzalez struck out the first two batters to open the game, but an error by third-baseman Ross Blondin on a pop-up in the heavily windy conditions and a walk led to a single by Zac Coshow that scored the Eagles opening run.  LCU matched it in the bottom half of the first inning, but they were unable to take the lead after loading the bases with no outs.  The lone LCU run of the inning came on a wild pitch scoring Austin Stewart.  Blondin a hit a ground ball to Coshow at first base leading to a throw home to get the force out and Doug Kroll struck out to set up JJ Muse grounding out to end the threat.  The Chaps took a 2-1 lead with a RBI-single from Blondin in the third inning, but the lead was short-lived.  With two outs and the bases empty in the fourth inning, OC produced three hits and Gonzalez walked an additional two batters leading to a pair of runs and a 3-2 OC lead.  Joe Staley hit is second double of the game for LCU in the fourth inning and it scored Stewart to tie the game at 3-3.  Muse reached base on an error in the fifth inning and eventually scored on a single up the middle by Dan Neumann to regain the LCU lead to 4-3.  Tyler Parcus hit a two-out single in the sixth inning to score Josh Balch and the Eagles tied the game at 4-4.  Eagles starting pitcher Kennedy Winn was shaky at the start with four walks in the first two innings, but as the game progressed, his game strengthened.  Winn retired nine straight LCU batters beginning in the sixth inning and struck out six straight in the span to allow the OC offense an opportunity to get the lead run, which they did.  LCU’s Tristan Gaines got a pair of quick outs in the ninth inning, but then Heath Steele singled and Tyler Gipson followed with a triple to provide the Eagles a 5-4 lead.  Davis, the following batter, added to the lead with a single and the Chaps trailed 6-4.  The Chaps attempted a two-out rally of their own in the bottom of the ninth, as they loaded the bases for Marc Gomez, but Parcus, who relieved Winn in the ninth inning, struck out Gomez to end the game.

The two teams combined to strand 25 runners, with OC stranding 13.  Winn improved to 1-3 on the season, as he allowed three earned runs off nine hits in nine innings pitched.  He also had 11 strikeouts.  Gaines suffered the loss for LCU, falling to 1-3 on the season.  Gonzalez allowed two earned runs in four innings and struck out five batters.

In the second game, OC starting hurler Brady Hamar pitched no-hit baseball through four innings, while a single by Jordan Price in the third inning led to OC leading 1-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.  Reid Chenworth ended the no-hit bid with a single and it ignited the LCU offense to eight hits leading to seven runs and a 7-1 lead with just one out recorded in the inning.  It ruined a good night for Hamar, who would leave after 4 1/3 innings.  Neumann produced a lead-off single in the sixth inning and Marc Gomez hit a double to allow David Cruz to hit a sacrifice fly to increase the lead to 8-1.  Two batters later, Richard Bohlken smashed a two-run home run over the left field fence against the wind for his team-leading eighth home run of the season and a 10-1 lead.  Kyle Berry replaced Chaps starting pitcher Frank Corolla, who allowed a run off seven hits in six innings pitched.  Berry struggled finding the strike zone, walking four straight batters and allowed an infield single for a pair of runs before regrouping to strikeout a pair of batters to close out the Chaps victory.

Hamar suffered the loss for his first of the season (2-1), while Corolla improved to 4-1.  Bohlken finished 2-for-4 with four runs-batted-in in the game and Cruz went 1-for-2 with three runs-batted-in.  Blondin and Cruz each had at least one hit in each game and have extended their hit streak to ten consecutive games.

Oklahoma Christian ended a ten-game series losing streak against LCU with the opening game win and they are 9-7 on the season after the doubleheader split.  The Eagles are also 5-3 in the SAC.  LCU is now 6-2 in the SAC and 18-8 overall.

The rubber match of the series is scheduled for a nine-inning game Saturday at Hays Field with a 1 p.m. first pitch.  Video of the game can be viewed online at www.lcuchaps.com, presented by www.SportCamTV.com and Stretch Internet (www.stretchinternet.com).   Audio and live scoring links are also available.   

LCU received an at-large bid after posting a 19-11 record during the regular season.  The Lady Chaps rank third in the NAIA in free-throw shooting (77.2%) and they are 11th in field goal percentage at 44.8%.  LCU is led by the scoring of Brittany Hampton, who is a All-Sooner Athletic Conference selection and is averaging 11.6 points a game.

Freed-Hardeman qualified by claiming the TranSouth Athletic Conference Tournament title with a win over No.1 Union University (Tenn.) 75-62.  FHU is 26-6 on the season and are riding a three-game win streak entering the tournament.  They rank fifth in free-throw shooting (76.4%) and seventh in points per game (80.7).  The Lady Lions are led by 2009 State Farm / WBCA NAIA Player of the Year Jana Cross, who is averaging 16.2 points and 8.1 rebounds a game.  Tara Deatheridge ranks seventh in the NAIA in three-point field goals with 78 and ninth in treys per game (2.6). 

FHU, who opened last season against Wayland Baptist University in the national championship, defeated LCU in Jackson at the 2008 tournament 76-70.  Ashley Coggins, Brandi Raindl and Severyn Smith are the only remaining Lady Chap players that participated in that game.  Freed-Hardeman received 27 points from Cross in the Lady Lions win, and she went 12-for-12 from the free-throw line.  Deatheridge hit a trio of three-pointers in the game and finished with 11 points.  FHU out-scored LCU 22-7 from the line.

LCU is making their seventh consecutive trip to Jackson and they are 8-6 all-time at the national championship.  FHU is making their 14th appearance and they are 17-13 all-time.  The 2008 meeting is the only tournament meeting between the two teams and their only all-time meeting.  LCU is 1-3 all-time against TranSouth Athletic Conference Teams in the tournament. 

Thirty-one games will be played in Jackson. The first 30 games will be video-streamed by NeuLion, the parent company of JumpTV. Three different subscription plans for basketball (Men's and Women's Division I; Men's and Women's Division II) will be available for tournament coverage. Users can purchase the All-Tournament pass, which includes every event offered on College Sports Direct from all four basketball championships for $39.95. Each of the four basketball championships can be purchased separately for $24.95 and any single day can be purchased for $9.95.  Visit www.naia.org for additional information.

Lubbock Christian plans on broadcasting each of their games in Jackson, with Chris Due handling the play-by-play duties.  They will be working with the Sports Express Radio Network to have the games broadcasted on local radio as well.  An announcement will be forthcoming on broadcast plans. 

In the first game of the doubleheader, Alyssa Gutierrez pitched a one-hit shutout to improve her record to 12-1. It was her eighth complete game and sixth shutout of the season. She came two outs away from a no-hitter, as she pitched no-hit ball for the first 4 1/3 innings.  In the bottom of the second inning, the Lady Chaps scored five runs on six hits, highlighted by Kim Frazier’s 20^th home run in 21 games on the season. In the fourth inning, LCU scored seven runs on seven hits, topped off by Amanda Parson’s second home run of the season. Six players hit .500 or better in the game for the Lady Chaps.

LCU got off to a fast start in the second game of the double header, scoring six runs on five hits in the first inning. Clarissa Maldonado hit her first home run of the season, with a three-run shot over the centerfield fence, to cap off the first inning. The Lady Chaps scored runs in every inning, adding three runs in the second, and one run in each the third and fourth innings.  Priscilla FaGaines hit her 12^th home run of the season in the second inning. Jori Rodgers pitched a shutout in her third complete game of the season, improving her record to 8-0.  She held USW to just two hits. Four different Lady Chaps hit doubles in the game.

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.

Four out of the five Lady Chaps improved on their first rounds, led by Rachel Dansby’s 6-over-par 78.  She finished in eighth place in the individual standings with a total of 157 (79,78). Kelsey Inman followed up her opening round 81 with a 6-over-par 78 also. Inman finished in a tie for 11^th place with a 159.  Macelee Lane shot a 7-over-par 79 in the second round, two strokes better than the previous day.  Lane ended up in a tie for 16^th place with a 160.  Anna Schopp finished in a tie for 32^nd (80,87 = 167) and Sinae Montoya finished in a tie for 34^th (87,81 = 168), respectively.

Jocelyn Alford of UBC won the individual title with a 4-over-par two-round total of 148 (74,74).  UBC finished with three golfers in the top-five to claim the team title by 13 strokes over host No.3 California Baptist.

LCU did finish ahead of No.16 Southern Nazarene University and No.12 Wayland Baptist University, two Sooner Athletic Conference foes.  The Lady Chaps will travel to Albuquerque, N.M. in two weeks to compete in the Mustang Intercollegiate tournament March 22-23^rd hosted by Western New Mexico University at UNM Championship Golf Course.