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MANSFIELD, Texas\u00a0(January 30, 2026) \u2013 Lubbock Christian University played “meet and greet” as they opened their 2026 season Friday at the Lone Star Classic at Fields at Station 63. Eleven (11) players made their LCU debut on the afternoon, but they were unable to top solid competition from the north, falling to No.9 Augustana (S.D.) 7-3 and Minnesota Duluth 7-6 in the Opening Day pair of games.<\/p>\n
Game 1 HOW IT HAPPENED GAME NOTES
\nNo. 9 Augustana used a pair of three-run frames to pull away from Lubbock Christian University, handing the Lady Chaps a 7\u20133 loss Friday morning in the season opener for both teams at the Lone Star Classic at Fields at Station 63.
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\nAugustana (1\u20130) broke a 3\u20133 tie with a three-run home run in the fifth inning and added an insurance run in the seventh, backing a complete-game performance from Mateya Speltz in the circle. Lubbock Christian (0\u20131) answered a three-run fourth inning by the Vikings with a three-run rally of its own but was limited to three hits the rest of the way.
\nSpeltz (1\u20130) went the distance for Augustana, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out 11 and walking one. LCU senior Ashlinn Hamilton<\/a> (0\u20131) took the loss after surrendering six runs (five earned) over 4.1 innings, with Natalee Gray<\/a> and Kenzie Kauk<\/a> combining for 2.2 innings of relief.
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\nOffensively, Augustana was led by Claire Wynja, who finished with three runs scored and a decisive three-run home run in the fifth inning. Stella Harber added a two-run double, while Kierra Lubovich went 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI. Andrea Cain and Desi Cuevas each recorded two hits for the Vikings.
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\nFor Lubbock Christian, Ava Castillo<\/a> went 3-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in her LCU debut. Kadin Vire<\/a> and Ashlinn Hamilton<\/a> each drove in a run with doubles during the Lady Chaps’ fourth-inning rally, and Kenzie Kauk<\/a> added an RBI on a fielder’s choice.<\/p>\n
\nBoth teams were held scoreless through the first three innings, as Hamilton and Speltz traded zeros while combining to retire the first 18 batters of the game.
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\nAugustana struck first in the top of the fourth. Wynja worked a leadoff walk and advanced to third on Lubovich’s double down the right-field line. After a strikeout, Harber doubled to left to drive in two runs. Moments later, Harber stole home during a caught-stealing sequence following a hit-by-pitch, giving the Vikings a 3\u20130 lead.
\nLubbock Christian answered immediately in the bottom of the fourth. Castillo singled and moved to third on a passed ball before scoring on Vire’s RBI double to left-center. Hamilton followed with an RBI double of her own, and Madison Hunter<\/a> later scored on Kauk’s fielder’s choice to knot the game at 3\u20133.
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\nThe tie was short-lived. In the fifth, Cain singled and Cuevas doubled to put two runners aboard before Wynja connected on a three-run home run to left, restoring a 6\u20133 Augustana advantage. Gray entered in relief and settled the inning without further damage.
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\nLCU threatened in the bottom of the fifth, putting two runners on with one out, but Speltz escaped the jam with back-to-back outs. Augustana added an insurance run in the seventh when Lubovich delivered a ground-rule double to drive in Wynja, extending the lead to four.
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\nThe Lady Chaps put the tying run on deck in the seventh, loading traffic with a hit-by-pitch and a single, but Speltz closed out the win with a strikeout to seal the season-opening victory.
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\nGAME NOTES
\n\u00bb LCU fell to 15-4 all-time in season openers, as all four season-opening losses have occurred over the last five seasons. They opened away from Gulf Shores, Ala. for the first time since 2023 and away from home in a non-Alabama location (for the first time since) since 2013 (San Antonio, Texas).
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\n\u00bb Ava Castillo<\/a>, Lexi Clark<\/a>, Kanzie Kauk, Coryn Burris<\/a>, Alexis Pacheco<\/a>, Gabbi Diotalevi<\/a>, Brianna Chambers-Lee<\/a> and Madison Hunter<\/a> each made their LCU debut in the game, as five were in the starting lineup.
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\nGame 2
\nLubbock Christian University closed its opening day with a late surge, but Minnesota Duluth built an early cushion and held on for a 7\u20136 win Friday afternoon at the Lone Star Classic at Fields at Station 63.
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\nThe Lady Chaps (0\u20132) plated four runs in the top of the seventh inning to bring the tying run to the plate, but Minnesota Duluth (1\u20130) was able to escape the rally and secure the victory behind a complete-game effort from Allyssa Williams.
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\nWilliams (1\u20130) went all seven innings for the Bulldogs, allowing six runs on eight hits while walking four and striking out five. Kendall Ward<\/a> (0\u20131) took the loss for LCU after allowing six runs over 2.1 innings, with Alexis Clark and Kenzie Kauk<\/a> combining for 3.2 innings of relief.
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\nOffensively, freshman Alexis Pacheco<\/a> led the Lady Chaps with a two-run home run in the second inning and added a walk and a run scored. Kadin Vire<\/a> finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Ashlinn Hamilton<\/a> delivered a two-run double during LCU’s seventh-inning comeback attempt. Ava Castillo<\/a> and Cat Prisock<\/a> each added hits and scored runs for Lubbock Christian.
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\nMinnesota Duluth was paced by Morgan McMillan, who drove in four runs on a three-run home run and an RBI groundout. Daphne Evans opened the scoring with a solo home run and added two hits, while Taryn Christopher chipped in an RBI double.
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\nHOW IT HAPPENED
\nMinnesota Duluth struck first in the bottom of the first when Evans led off the inning with a solo home run to center field. An LCU error and two walks loaded the bases later in the frame, but Ward limited the damage to a single run with a strikeout to end the inning.
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\nLubbock Christian responded in the top of the second. Madison Hunter<\/a> reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second before Pacheco launched a two-run home run to center, giving the Lady Chaps a brief 2\u20131 advantage.
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\nThe Bulldogs answered immediately in the bottom of the second. After a hit-by-pitch and a bunt single set the table, McMillan connected on a three-run home run down the right-field line. Later in the inning, Khendal Johnson added an RBI single to extend the lead to 5\u20132.
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\nMinnesota Duluth tacked on another run in the third on McMillan’s RBI groundout, then pushed the lead to five in the fourth when Christopher doubled to right-center to score Sierra Thomas.
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\nClark settled things in the circle for LCU, retiring 10 of the final 12 batters she faced and keeping the game within reach heading into the late innings.
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\nThe Lady Chaps mounted a final charge in the seventh. Pacheco walked and Prisock singled to open the inning, followed by Castillo’s infield single to load the bases. Vire drove in the first run with a single to left, and Burris followed with a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to three. Hamilton then lined a two-run double to left-center, bringing the tying run to second base.
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\nWilliams regrouped, however, recording a strikeout and a foul-out to close the door and preserve the Minnesota Duluth victory.<\/p>\n
\n\u00bb Chloe Walls<\/a>, Skylar Brown<\/a> (redshirted last season) and Julie Muniz<\/a> each made their Lady Chap playing debut. Alexis Clark made her pitching debut in the circle (played positionally in the opener) and struck out four batters in 3.0 innings of work.<\/p>\n