Baseball 'slips up' against No. 15 Chapman University (Calif.) to close regular season, as Panthers earn three-game sweep over Crusaders
ORANGE, Calif. - Optimism was abound for a University of Dallas baseball team (25-14) entering their final series of the regular season in squaring off with a reeling No. 15 Chapman University team (27-10), with the Panthers having dropped five of their previous six contests.
Things however didn't pan out for Dallas in their trip out west, as the Crusaders were swept over the weekend in a three-game series with Chapman.
Saturday, Apr. 30 (Doubleheader):
Game 1: Dallas 5, Chapman University 6 (F/11) Boxscore
Dallas jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top-half of the 1st inning. Junior left fielder Devin Arnold (McKinney, Texas/McKinney H.S.) began the game with a single to center field. The following batter, junior center fielder Brian Shelburne (Portsmouth, R.I./Portsmouth H.S.) smashed a double, bringing in Arnold for the game's first score. Some defensive debauchery by the Panthers then put Shelburne in position to successfully steal home for Dallas' second score of the initial inning.
A No. 15 ranked Chapman team -- according to d3baseball.com -- resiliently countered in the 1st inning with two runs of their own, off of senior right-handed pitcher Philip Carkhuff (Marietta, Ga./The Lovett School). Carkhuff's day on the mound was cut short after just three innings, wherein he surrendered four runs (three earned) on three hits and two walks, while striking-out two.
Junior right-handed pitcher Michael Schweiss (Parker, Colo./Chaparral H.S.) finished the game in relief of Carkhuff, who was handed a 'no decision.'
The Crusaders had sophomore sensation Brian Rauh (9-0) on the ropes for the first loss of his young collegiate career, as Dallas held a 5-4 advantage over Chapman in Game 1 of the three-game series, after six innings of play.
Chapman's senior catcher Adam Kordich decided to temper an upset-minded Dallas squad, hitting a 7th inning solo home run off of Schweiss to lead off the inning.
With both teams knotted at 5-5 after nine innings, sophomore pitcher Travis McGee took over for Rauh, who in nine-innings of work gave up 11 hits to the Crusaders, and five runs (three earned), while walking two and fanning 10.
Dallas threatened in the 10th inning, with freshman second baseman Mark Carlson (Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Home School) starting the inning with a walk. After a failed bunt conversion by junior catcher Varea Costello (Anchorage, Alaska/South Anchorage H.S.), Carlson advanced to second base on a failed pickoff attempt. Carlson, in scoring position, was promptly picked-off at second base. This proved to be highly unfortunate for the Crusaders, as sophomore right fielder James Kerin (East Greenwich, R.I./East Greenwich H.S.) proceeded to single, which could've scored Carlson. A double by Arnold then advanced Kerin to third base. With two runners in scoring position, the UD 10th inning threat was thwarted with a groundout from the bat of Shelburne.
The Panthers went one-two-three in the bottom-half of the 10th inning. Dallas again threatened to break the tie, this time in the 11th inning, but Chapman averted near disaster by catching sophomore third baseman Trevor Allred (Anchorage, Alaska/South Anchorage H.S.) stealing home, in addition to stranding two Crusaders in scoring position.
Despite a valiant effort, Dallas succumbed to Chapman in the bottom of the 11th, when junior second baseman Tyler Hadzinsky produced the game-winning single to score freshman first baseman Mark Saatzer, who had reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Schweiss.
In 7.2 innings toeing the rubber, Schweiss (9-2) allowed two runs (both earned) on seven hits and a walk, while striking-out three before being pegged with the loss.
Game 2: Dallas 1, Chapman University 10 (F/9) Boxscore
With the back-half of Saturday's doubleheader looming, Dallas couldn't afford to sulk after their tough-luck Game 1 loss to Chapman.
The Crusaders rolled junior right-handed pitcher Michael Byers (Manassas, Va./Seton Home School) out on the hill as the Game 2 starter.
After Dallas couldn't get anything going against senior pitcher Jordan Sigman in the top-half of the 1st inning, Byers fared well on the 'bump' in the bottom-half of the inning, putting away the Chapman hitters in one-two-three fashion.
The bottom of the 2nd inning was a different story for Byers and the Crusaders, however, as Chapman put a four-spot on the scoreboard. Of note, Dallas had two errors in the inning and three for the game.
The Crusaders' lone run of the game occurred in the 5th inning, when Carlson brought in senior shortstop David Rettinger (San Antonio, Texas/Central Catholic H.S.) with a single to center field. Rettinger got on base with a one-out single to left field, and advanced to second base thanks to a wild pitch.
Junior right-handed hurler Joel Hansen (Shadow Hills, Calif./Verdiago Hills H.S.) took over for Byers in the 5th inning. Hansen, in an inning of work, allowed one run (unearned) on two hits, while striking out one, before exiting for sophomore southpaw Chris Schierhorn (Anchorage, Alaska/South Anchorage H.S.), who pitched the 7th and 8th innings. With the Panther bats out in full force, Schierhorn allowed three hits and two runs (both earned) against eight batters faced.
Resulting was a nine-run defeat for the Crusaders, and it was now up to the team to turn their attention to Sunday's single nine-inning game.
Sunday, May 1 (1x9):
Dallas 2, Chapman University 7 (F/9) Boxscore
Lasting only three innings in Game 1 against Chapman, Carkhuff's services were called upon once again to neutralize the Chapman batters, this time as the Game 3 starter.
Dallas struck first on the scoreboard, in the 3rd inning, with Allred singling through the left side, scoring Arnold who initially reached base on an error by the first baseman. Arnold advanced to second base when Shelburne earned a walk off of sophomore starting pitcher Christian Maietta.
The Crusaders took a 2-0 advantage in the top-half of the 4th inning when senior catcher Delano Ponce (Albuquerque, N.M./Albuquerque Academy) singled up the middle, scoring Rettinger, who started off the inning by singling through the left side. Rettinger then advanced to second base prior to touching homeplate, when Carlson grounded out to the pitcher.
Things unraveled for Dallas in the bottom of the 5th inning, as Carkhuff pitched himself into a jam, which freshman lefty reliever Dylan Myers (Rosebud, Texas/Rosebud-Lott H.S.) couldn't escape. Chapman took a 3-2 lead in the 5th inning on thee hits and an error. Carkhuff was on the hook for two earned runs of the three scored.
It went from bad to worse for the Crusaders in the 8th inning, when Chapman expanded upon their lead with four more scores. Schweiss and Hansen tried to help minimize the damage in the 8th, but to no aveil, as Dallas ended up with a five run loss to the Panthers.
Crusaders remain in hunt for NCAA at-large postseason berth:
Though a win or two against Chapman would've definitely improved their chances of earning an at-large berth into the NCAA Regionals as an Independent, Dallas still has an outside shot of garnering a bid, being 11 games over the .500 mark on the season. The Crusaders must wait until NCAA 'Selection Day' on May 15 to find out if they've made the postseason in head coach Fraser Holmes' second year at the helm as the team's skipper.