Villanueva throws Huge Shutout to give Baseball a split Friday at Southwestern
GEORGETOWN, Texas – The University of Dallas baseball team split a late evening doubleheader with Southwestern University on Friday. After falling 11-4 in the opener, the Crusader evened the crucial series on the shoulders of senior Luciano Villanueva's (San Antonio, Texas) 2-0, two-hitter.
GAME ONE INFORMATION
Team Scores: University of Dallas (4), Southwestern University (11)
Team Records: Dallas (9-26, 5-8 SCAC), Southwestern (12-21, 7-6 SCAC)
Pitcher Records: W) Preston (4-1), L) Felchack (1-9)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Dallas was unable to contain the Pirates' offense early, as the home team batted around in the first inning and took a 4-0 lead. Southwestern's best hitter, Will Cates, started the game with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ethan Luna. Ethan Hallmark, who walked after Cates and stole second base prior to the flyout, would score on a fielding error as Ben Little reached on the third baseman's miscue. With the bases loaded after consecutive singles, a hit by pitch and walk completed the early deficit for UD.
The Crusaders took a run back in the second as junior Avery Arnold (McKinney, Texas) reached on a Southwestern fielding effort by the shortstop. Freshman Mark Peterson (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored after he smacked a one-out single to right center.
Three more runs pushed the Gold and Black's advantage to 7-1 in the second. The final pair of those runs got charged unearned due to a dropped fly ball to center. Dallas responded with two in the top of the third as Villanueva and Peterson each drove in a run. The four-run deficit (7-3) was as close as the Crusaders came that contest, as SU added on four runs combined in the third through fifth frames.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Both squads combined for 25 hits, with Dallas notching 12.
- Freshman Thomas Martin (Vancouver, Was.) led the lineup with a 3-for-5 and a double. He scored a run too.
- Hitters 1-5 combined for nine hits overall. Juniors JP Fasone (Englewood, Colo.) and Zach San Roman (Miami, Fl.) added two hits apiece. Peterson was the other multi-hit performance.
- UD stolen bases: Arnold, Martin, and freshman Josh Abalos (Lewisville, Texas)
- UD committed four errors and Southwestern committed two.
- Junior Blake Palmer (Coppell, Texas) and Freshman Paul Scioli (Lubbock, Texas) combined 3.2 shutout innings of relief.
- Colby Schmidt led Southwestern by matching a game-high 3 hits. Cates, Hallmark, and Austyn Laird produced the multi-hit games for the Pirates. Both of Cates hits were extra-bases, counting a double and triple. Laird and Luna smacked the other doubles. Hallmark snagged two steals.
- Will Preston went seven innings in the victory. He allowed three runs (1 earned) on eight hits, while matching two walks with strikeouts.
GAME TWO INFORMATION
Team Scores: University of Dallas (2), Southwestern University (0)
Team Records: Dallas (10-26, 6-8 SCAC), Southwestern (12-22, 7-7 SCAC)
Pitcher Records: W) Villanueva (2-3), L) Polasek (1-9)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Desperate for a win in the nightcap to keep their chances alive for the final spot in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Tournament, the Crusaders received their best start of the campaign. With an 8:43 official start time, Villanueva faced little trouble in his second complete game of the season. The right-hander mowed down a career-high nine hitters via strikeout. That is a team-high for an individual this season as well.
Villanueva faced the minimal, 12 batters, through four innings. Southwestern recorded the first hit in its column to start the fifth with a single by Little. He advanced to second on a groundout to first for the second out, but Colby Kelly struck out to end the inning.
In the top of the fourth, Dallas managed the only offense it needed to force a rubber game Sunday. Peterson tripled to left center and scored Villanueva. UD's starting arm doubled to left field with one out and scored on the two-out knock. After sophomore Cole Wessling (Denton, Texas) walked, the two runners on the corner advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch. Those were the only runs of the game after the 15 combined runs earlier that evening.
The Pirates did threaten in the sixth as Laird ripped a one-out triple to left center. Cates grounded out and Hallmark flied out to left to leave no damage done. In the ninth, two quick pop outs set UD up for the shutout. Hallmark would be hit by a pitch and he advanced to scoring position on a failed pickoff attempt. Luna was caught looking for Villanueva's ninth strikeout and the team's first shutout this season.
This victory matches last season's team total, and snapped a 18-game road losing streak dating back to an 11-10 win at Sul Ross State University on January 31.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Dallas worked around three errors to keep the shutout intact.
- The Crusaders outhit Southwestern 5-2. Three of the total seven knocks went for extras, including a pair of triples.
- Peterson laced UD's three-bagger and had a 2-for-3 game with an RBI and run scored.
- Villanueva punched a Dallas double. Martin and Abalos recorded the other UD hits.
- Junior Avery Arnold ended his career-long hitting streak at eight games. The centerfield picked up a hit in the first game.
- Villanueva's final stat line: 9 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 SO.
- Laird tripled for Southwestern and Little notched the other hit.
- Tyler Polasek threw seven innings with two runs allowed. He was tagged for five hits while walking one and striking out six.
UP NEXT
Dallas wraps up the series tomorrow. The start time has been moved up to 10 a.m.