OKLAHOMA CITY -- Ryan Rathbun and Mat Owen combined to limit the No. 11-ranked Lubbock Christian University Chaparrals to four runs on five hits and the Mid-America Christian University Evangels found just enough offense to take the second game of a Sooner Athletic Conference doubleheader 5-4 Friday afternoon (Mar. 30) at James Curtis Field.  The Chaps powered their way to a 9-1 win in the first game.

Errors were the story of the early part of the nightcap, as each team commited two miscues that led to the Evangels holding a 2-1 after two innings. 

The Chaps (22-11, 10-4 SAC) tied the score in the third as Josh  Powe led off the inning with a walk and scored on a double by Jordan Lewis.  The Chaps could have threatened for more, but Lewis was caught in a rundown trying to advance to third on the throw home. 

MACU (5-25, 2-15 SAC) then took advantage as Kory Palmer hit a lead off double in the bottom of the third and scored the go-ahead run on a single by Jon Jon Lemos.  Lemos then scored to make it 4-2 when Joe Moore reached on an error. 

An inning later, Justin Rivera singled home Trent Daniels for a valuable insurance run and a 5-2 lead. 

The Chaps scored in the fifth to come within two runs when Owen took over on the mound to begin the sixth for the Evangels. 

Owen promptly struck out the first two batters he saw and retired the first five he faced overall. 

But the 11th ranked Chaps wouldn't go quietly as Karl Seiter made it a one-run game with a solo homer to left with two outs in the seventh. 

Owen then closed out the victory by inducing a grounder back to the mound to earn his first save of the season. 

Rathbun pitched five effective innings to pick up the win, allowing only one earned run on four hits in his five innings of work. 

Daniels and Lemos each had two hits in the win for the Evangels. 

It didn't take long for LCU to take control of the first game, as a pair of walks led to a three-run homer by Seiter in the first inning. 

Three more walks in the second set up a grand slam by Ryan Burnaman for LCU's seventh run of the game on only two hits. 

Burnaman then doubled home two more runs in the top of the sixth that made it 9-0. 

Lemos hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth that plated Rivera for the Evangels' lone tally of the game. 

A bright spot in the first game for the Evangels was the relief outings of Grant Zimmerman and Blaine Garriott.  Zimmerman pitched four innings and gave up only two runs and blanked the Chaps over his first three innings of work.  Garriott then threw a scoreless seventh inning. 

Tyler Rogers was sharp on the mound for the Chaps, striking out 12 and allowing no earned runs on two hits in seven innings. 

Burnaman (six) and Seiter (three) combined to drive in all nine runs in the opening game win for the Chaps. 

The Evangels will host the rubber game of the series between the two schools tomorrow afternoon (Mar. 31) at 1 p.m.