Baseball takes Split on Saturday at Sul Ross State University
ALPINE, Texas – The University of Dallas baseball team (1-1) claimed a split at Sul Ross State University (1-1) on Saturday afternoon. Each team celebrated opening day with a victory. The Crusaders would hold on for a 6-5 win in game one of the series, before SRSU evened the weekend tilt in a 10-4 triumph.
GAME ONE INFORMATION:
Final: University of Dallas 6, Sul Ross State University 5 (In Seven Innings)
Records: Dallas (1-0), Sul Ross State (0-1)
Pitching decisions: W) Hammonds 1-0, L) Gallego (0-1) S) Villanueva (1)
The Crusaders got the offense rolling quickly with runs scored in their first trip to the plate to begin the campaign. UD banged four hits and two runs in the opening frame, with the first three batters up reaching on base knocks. Freshman Josh Abalos (Lewisville, Texas) and senior Rene Vargas, Jr. (San Antonio, Texas) beat out infield singles to start things, and senior Luciano Villanueva (San Antonio, Texas) smacked a double to bring both home.
After Sul Ross State knotted the game with a pair of runs in the third, Dallas put another crooked number up with three runs in the top of the fourth. The trio of runs came off the bat of freshman Mark Peterson (Cincinnati, OHIO), who blasted his first collegiate homer. Sophomores Cole Wessling (Denton, Texas) and Derek Valiska (Bastrop, Texas) crossed the dish on that dinger.
The Lobos nipped the deficit to 5-4 with another pair of runs scored in their half of the fifth. Abalos scampered home on a wild pitch in the top of the sixth for a much needed insurance run. Villanueva collected his first career save with UD and held on to the one-run victory after allowing a two-out double down the line to Jonny Campos.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-Vargas Jr. led Dallas with a 3-for-4 day at the plate. Five players would tally multiple hits for the guests. The remainder of the quintet included: Abalos, Villanueva, Valiska, and Wessling. UD totaled 13 hits altogether.
- Vargas, Jr, Villanueva, and Valiska all had doubles and Peterson launched the team's first round-tripper of the season. In 2015, it was the fourth game of the year before a home run was hit for UD.
- The Crusaders were charged with three errors in the contest.
- Junior Ryan Hammonds (Cedar Hill, Texas) went 4.1 innings, allowed seven hits, four runs (3 ER), walked one, and struck out three.
- Junior William Marshall (Frisco, Texas) added 1.1 scoreless innings to bridge the gap for Villanueva. He walked two.
- Sul Ross was led by Connor Griffith and Ryan Almager with two hits apiece. James DeLeon drove in two runners.
- Eli Gallego was saddled for the loss with nine hits and five runs (all earned) surrendered over four innings. He walked one and recorded the lone Crusader strikeout.
GAME TWO INFORMATION:
Final: University of Dallas 4, Sul Ross State University 10
Records: Dallas (1-1), Sul Ross State (1-1)
Pitching decisions: W) Vajgert 1-0, L) Felchak (0-1)
In the second game of the twinbill, Dallas fell behind 2-0 after two innings were complete. The Navy and White got a run back on Vargas, Jr.'s fourth hit in sixth at bat of the day, which was a long ball. It was the seniors first of his career and cut the margin in half.
The Lobos would double the gap with a run in the fifth and widened the gates with a five-run seventh to take control of the game. Two of UD's four errors in the game were made that frame. That led to a pair of unearned runs. Between those scoring situation miscues, Gallego ripped a doubled to right center to drive two in. Jonathan Bigley added a triple to complete the scoring in that major inning.
Dallas did compile three runs on five hits within its last five outs of the game.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-The Crusaders managed nine hits with Vargas, Jr. and Valiska notching two apiece to lead the individuals.
- Peterson added an RBI to give the rookie four on his UD debut. He contributed one of the team's three walks. Wessling also notched his first RBI of the year.
- Junior Eric Felchak (The Woodlands, Texas) started and pitched five innings. His final line was six hits, three runs (all earned) and two walks allowed. Felchak and classmate Blake Palmer (Coppell, Texas) each recorded six of UD's seven punchouts.
- Senior Brian Donley (Chicago, Ill.) pitched a scoreless eighth out of the pen.
- The Lobos were led by Kit Henderson with a 3-for-4 game and RBI. Gallego and Phillip Russell contributed multiple hit days with two each.
- SRSU compiled 12 hits with four counting as extra bags. Three were doubles (Gallego, Chris York, and Russell) and one triple (Bigley).
- Justin Vajgert captured with the win hurling six tough innings of one-run baseball. He scattered four hits, two walks, and fanned six.
UP NEXT
The teams play a rubber game on Sunday. It will be a nine-inning contests beginning at 1 p.m.