@UDallasBaseball splits Pair of 7-Inning Games at Howard Payne University
BROWNWOOD, Texas – The University of Dallas Baseball team split Saturday's twinbill at Howard Payne University. Both games were only scheduled seven innings, but the teams still combined for plenty of offense with 15 runs altogether in game one and 19 in game two. Dallas fell 9-6 in the series opener before drilling a 16-3 blowout in the second matchup. The Crusaders are now 2-3, while Howard Payne dropped its first contest of the young campaign following two early victories.
Game 1 Recap
The Yellow Jackets grabbed the early lead in the second inning with a run, and then piled three in the third frame. The first four runs for the home team were all charged unearned as UD's defense did combine for seven errors overall.
Dallas got on the board in the fourth with senior Alex Thornton (Fort Worth, Texas) ripping a triple the second batter of the frame. It would be a three-spot that inning to nip the deficit to one (4-3) as classmate Mark Carlson drove in Thornton with a single in the next at bat. Sophomore Anthony Armstrong also picked up a ribbie in that big inning for the guests.
The Crusaders jumped ahead briefly in the next inning with two runs to flip the score to 5-4. Carlson again was involved in the scoring with a double to right center that knotted the board. Junior Trevor Keele (Edgewood, Texas) singled down the left field line to give the Crusaders their first lead of the game.
It was their lone lead and was short lived as Howard Payne responded in the bottom part of the inning with four runs. Each team scored once in the sixth to keep things as a three-run final.
Dallas was led by Carlson and Keele each with 2-for-4 results at the plate. UD finished with six total base knocks. Thornton, Carlson (2), and Keele combined for a quartet of the RBI by hitting in 2-3-4 of the lineup. Junior Martin Cronin (The Woodlands, Texas) moved to 1-1 on the season getting charged the loss. He started and threw 4.1 innings. Despite 11 hits on eight runs, Cronin only allowed one earned, walked none, and fanned five.
The YellowJackets posted 12 hits with Jake Sadler going 2-for-4 with a double, RBI, and two runs scored. Kyle Kulczyk had a perfect day at the dish (3-3) with an RBI and two runs scored. Five players finished with multiple hit games. Dustin Kelver earned the win in relief by throwing the last three frames.
Game 2 Recap
The Crusaders scored in five-of-seven innings, including a nine-run third to fuel season-highs in runs and hits with 16 and 15, respectively. Both teams traded runs in the opening frame, but then 12 straight runs over the next three innings for UD propelled the team to its largest victory of the season and evened the three-game set.
Keele tripled for the first run of the game, but then HPU's Matthew Daniel grounded out in the next half inning to knot the affair again. Dallas gained the momentum with sophomore Denton Martin (Denton, Texas) singling to left field for two-RBI.
Highlighting that span of a dozen runs though occurred in the next inning. Armstrong started the avalanche of scoring with a single and advanced all the way to third on an error. Keele scored on that sequence. Armstrong then scampered home on a passed ball. Up 5-1, a trio of runs crossed for the guests to widen the gap. Keele doubled down the left field line for two more ribbies and Armstrong singled in the same spot to expand the margin to double-digits.
The lead ballooned to 13-1 in the fourth, and the final would be the largest difference of the game as Dallas had the final three runs in the sixth.
All starters for the Crusaders etched a tally mark in the hit column. Keele paced the group with a 3-for-4 including a double and triple. He also had a game-high three RBI and two runs scored. Carlson picked up the other extra baggers with both his knocks counting for triples. Junior Luciano Villanueva (San Antonio, Texas) scored a game-high three runs.
Freshman Evan Eubanks notched the win in a four-inning start. He allowed a run on two hits while walking four and striking out three. His classmate Cole Morden (Arlington, Texas) tossed two shutout frames and struck out two. Mathew Parks was charged the loss in two innings of his start for the Yellow Jackets. He allowed five runs (3 earned) on eight hits. Overall, six pitchers appeared for the home team.
These teams wrap up the non-conference series on Sunday with each team looking to win the rubber matchup.