LUBBOCK, Texas – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Baseball saw its Lone Star Conference Championship tournament run come to an end Friday with a pair of one-run losses. The Lions lost the winner's bracket game, 7-6, to Lubbock Christian, before falling, 4-3, in extra innings to UT Permian Basin in an elimination game.  

Lubbock Christian 7, UAFS 6 

The Lions had the game-tying and go-ahead runs on base with two outs in the bottom of the ninth but a called strike three left the bases loaded, leaving the Lions one run short.  

UAFS played from behind the entire game, as the Chaps pushed across two runs in the third and two in the fifth for a 4-0 lead. The Lions scored their first run in the bottom of the fifth when Brandon Ulmer collected an RBI single to right. 

After a scoreless top of the sixth by starter Grant Shankle, the Lions pulled within a run when Ryan Riggs drove in a run with a sac fly and Blayse Quarnstrom delivered an RBI single. The first three Lions all reached base on a single in the frame.  

The Chaps added two insurance runs in the seventh and one in the eighth, but the Lions continued to chip away.  

Quarnstrom collected another RBI single in the eighth followed by an RBI single by Ulmer to make it 7-5 in favor of LCU. UAFS then escaped a bases loaded jam in the top of the ninth. 

UAFS walked three times in the bottom of the ninth in addition to a single by Cayden Burch. Michael Brinton scored to pull the Lions within one on a walk by Quarnstrom. However, a strikeout ended the rally forcing the Lions to play an elimination game against UT Permian Basin. 

Shankle tossed 6.2 innings on the mound, allowing six runs on 11 hits while striking out five.  

Burch collected four hits for the Lions, who had 13 singles on the day. Quarnstrom tallied three hits with two RBIs and a run scored. Brinton had two hits and two runs, while Ulmer went 2-for-5 with two RBIs.  

UTPB 4, UAFS 3 (10 inn.) 

UTPB loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the 10th before scoring on a wild pitch to eliminate the Lions and advance to the championship series.  

Jakob Petross then came on in relief to get a strikeout and a double play to limit the damage to one run. However, the Lions went down in order in the bottom half of the inning.  

The Falcons scored single tallies in the second and third innings before the Lions scratched across a run in the fourth on an RBI single by Blayse Quarnstrom.  

After UTPB scored a run in the top of the fifth, the Lions roared back with two runs in the bottom half of the frame, getting an RBI groundout from Michael Brinton and another RBI single from Quarnstrom to tie the game.  

Both teams then put up zeroes over the next four innings, including both teams leaving the bases loaded in the ninth. UTPB wanted no part of Quarnstrom in his last two plate appearances, as the senior was intentionally walked with runners in scoring position after collecting a pair of RBIs earlier in the game.  

Riley Lowry started on the mound, tossing 5.2 innings while allowing three runs on seven hits with five punchouts. Logran Grant relieved Lowry, tossing 3.1 innings with three strikeouts, allowing one unearned run. UAFS committed five errors in the loss. 

Quarnstrom, Nico Patrick, Cayden Burch and Noah Davis all had two hits for the Lions while Brandon Ulmer had three hits and a run scored.