SAN ANGELO, Texas – West Texas A&M junior right hander Marshall Kasowski set a new Lone Star Conference single season strikeout record on Thursday night but the Buffs struggled to come up with a timely hit as they fell to the Chaps of Lubbock Christian, 2-1 in front of over 1,200 fans at Foster Field in San Angelo, Texas during the opener of the 2017 NCAA Division II South Central Regional Tournament. The Buffs fall to 35-17 on the season while the Chaps improve to 38-14 overall.
 
LCU registered the game's first hit on a Brandon Rix single up the middle with one out in the first inning before DII's strikeout leader ended the frame with a pair of K's to send the Buffs to the plate. Ricky Contreras responded in the home half of the inning as the sophomore right-hander needed just 11 pitches to set WT down in order with a pair of strikeouts and a lineout to right.
 
The Chaps got on the board in the top of the second inning as Brent Stewart connected on a 2-2 Kasowski offering with a solo blast off the scoreboard in right center field before a strikeout ended the inning with LCU leading 1-0. John Baiada continued his hot streak at the plate with a single to right center with one out in the bottom of the second before Chase Simmons gunned down his counterpart for the second out followed by a popup to send the teams to the third with LCU leading 1-0.
 
Kasowski made history in the top of the third inning as the Conroe native passed Garrett Murdy of Texas A&M-Kingsville (2004) for the single-season Lone Star Conference strikeout record with 159 to become one of 18 pitchers in Division II history with atleast 159 strikeouts in a single season.
 
Cubillos led off the home half of the fourth with a hot shot back up the middle followed by a single thru the right side by Nick Canas to put Buffs on first and second with no outs, Contreras responded with his fifth strikeout followed by a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning with LCU leading 1-0. The Buffs finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning as Chad Brown connected on a 1-0 offering for a solo blast into the bullpen in left field with one out to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Ryan Rogers singled back to the mound with one out in the top of the fifth inning before Baiada gave the Buffs their second out with a missile to Aaron Vallance at the bag, Simmons walked and moved to third on a failed pickoff attempt before Kasowski registered his 10^th strikeout to end the threat. LCU retook the lead in the top of the seventh inning as a two-out walk and a wild pitch moved Brandon Urquizo to second followed by a Jaime Bustamante single up the middle to give the Chaps the 2-1 lead.
 
Rogers started off the eighth with a single to short followed by a Simmons sacrifice bunt for the first out, Logan Nethercot pinch hit for the Chaps and grounded out to second to move pinch-runner Keaton Greenwalt to third before Dominic Yearego registered a strikeout to end the inning.
 
Kasowski picked up the loss (9-5) on the mound for the Buffs, giving up two runs on five hits with five walks and 12 strikeouts in his 7.0 innings of work. Contreras went the distance for the Chaps as he allowed one run on eight hits with no walks and six strikeouts.
 
The Buffs will now have to come out of the loser's bracket to keep their season alive as they take on the Rams of Angelo State tomorrow afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Foster Field. ASU topped Arkansas-Fort Smith earlier in the day, 11-6.