No. 7 Lubbock Christian University used some small-ball to rally with four unanswered runs to complete a three-game Heartland Conference sweep with a 4-2 win over Newman University Saturday afternoon at Hays Field. The game was part of Lubbock Christian University’s annual Strike Out Hunger event to raise donations of canned food items for the South Plains Food Bank.

The Chaps had a season-high four sacrifice bunts in the game, which is the most the Chaps have had since the team single-game record has been kept on file since the 2009 season. All four sac bunts were completed by four different individuals. Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the third inning, the Chaps received a sacrifice bunt by Brandon Rix, which was misplayed by Jets starting pitcher Bradley Altdoerffer and it loaded the bases. Altdoerffer’s second misplay of a sacrifice bunt led to LCU’s first run of the game, with Brent Stewart scoring from third base on a double-play ball to cut the Newman lead to 2-1. 

It was the first of four eventual unanswered runs for the Chaps. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Stewart walked and then scored from second base on a Brandon Rix RBI base hit to tie the game 2-2. The game remained tied until the bottom of the eighth inning. Ryan Rogers laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Tony Reyes to second base and he scored on a Chase Simmons double to give LCU their first lead of the game. Caleb Koedyker provided an insurance run with a single to score Simmons and close the game’s scoring.

Newman had the game’s first lead with a pair of unearned runs in the second inning. Jacob Hamerle and Ked Bailey each had singles in the inning to help the Jets score their first and only runs of the three-game series.

Russell Reber started for LCU, but did not factor into the decision after allowing two unearned runs off five hits in five innings. Brent Bezio pitched the final four innings in relief and did not allow a run off two hits. He collected the win (4-2) and improved his ERA at home to 0.75 in eight appearances. The Chaps pitching staff has not allowed an earned run in four straight games.

Aldoerffer had a solid outing despite suffering the loss for Newman (2-5), as he allowed four runs off six hits in 7.1 innings. He did not allow a hit until the third inning and had held LCU to four hits through six innings.

LCU improved to 32-10 with their sixth straight win and they are 15-3 in conference play. Newman fell to 18-24 overall and 5-13 in conference action. LCU hits this road next week, heading to Fort Smith, Ark. For a three-game conference set with Arkansas Fort Smith beginning Friday.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

0-9 | After going 15-of-29 (.517) through the first two games of the three-game series in two-out at-bats, LCU went 0-for-9 in two-out at bats Saturday.

.778 | Brent Stewart was 7-for-9 (.778) in the series and completed the season series 8-for-12 against Newman this season.

2 | Newman was 2-for-22 (.091) with runners in scoring and 2-for-33 (.066) with runners on base in the series.

35 | Of Newman’s 48 balls put into play resulting in outs, 35 were ground outs, which resulted in Chaps second baseman Josh Narvaiz registering 17 assists. He had seven assists Saturday, matching a season single-game high for a Chaps fielder.

(Courtesy LCU Sports Information Department)