Feb. 22, 2010

Story courtesy of Lubbock Christian Athletic Media Relations

FORT WORTH, Texas - Alyssa Gutierrez pitched the fifth no-hitter in Lubbock Christian University (Texas) softball history and Kim Frazier belted four more home runs, as the No. 5 Lady Champs claimed the Cowtown Classic championship with wins over Northwestern Oklahoma State (13-0), Oklahoma Baptist University (10-4) and University of Houston-Victoria (Texas) (5-3) Saturday.

Gutierrez's no-hitter is her second in a Chaps uniform and the first since May 17, 2009, when she no-hit Shorter College (Ga.) in the NAIA Softball National Championship. She completed the task on Feb. 20 against NWOSU facing 22 batters in seven innings pitched, which is just one over the minimum. The one baserunner reached on an error. LCU received a two-run home run by Frazier in the third inning and a two-run single by Stephanie Rendon in the fifth inning, before exploding for nine runs on eight hits in the top of the seventh inning for a 13-0 lead. Priscilla FaGaines homered twice in the inning, including a three-run blast, for a four-RBI inning.

Frazier and Kayla Van Dieren opened the second game, against Oklahoma Baptist, with back-to-back homers in the first inning leading to a 5-0 lead after the top half of the first frame. Kylie King produced the first homer by a Lady Chaps opponent in the second inning, hitting a solo shot off starting pitcher Jori Rodgers to cut LCU's lead to 5-2. LCU grabbed some separation with a run in the fifth followed by a four-run sixth inning, highlighted by a two-run homer by FaGaines. Krystal Johnson hit a two-run double for OBU in the bottom of the sixth to close the scoring. Rodgers won the game allowing four runs off of five hits in 5 2/3 innings.

In the Cowtown Classic title game against UHV, Frazier nailed a pair of home runs, including a two-run shot in the bottom half of the first inning. FaGaines followed it in the next at-bat and her home run provided LCU with a 3-0 advantage. Each team added a run in the second inning and Courtney Pettit cut the LCU lead to 5-4 in the fourth inning with a two-run home run off of Gutierrez. Frazier added an insurance run with a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth and it closed the scoring with LCU victorious 5-3 for their second consecutive Cowtown Classic title. Gutierrez improved to 6-0 on the season allowing two earned runs off of seven hits in seven innings.

The hot-swinging Frazier finished batting .652 in the six games at the Cowtown Classic with 15 hits in 23 at-bats. She produced eight home runs and 26 RBI in the classic. FaGaines was also heavily impressive with five home runs and 12 RBIs in the six games. Gutierrez combined to go 3-0 with a 0.67 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched.

The Lady Chaps are 10-0 to start the season and they are scheduled to play in Hobbs, N.M., Tuesday against University of the Southwest (N.M.) to make-up for the season-opening weather cancellations.