3 Errors help Crusaders shock Hendrix in 9th on Friday
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – It was a miraculous comeback for the University of Dallas baseball team on Friday night against Hendrix College. The Crusaders rallied back with four runs in the 9th thanks to a trio of errors in a row that helped earn a 5-4 victory in game one of the "Rusty Greer & Jackie Moore Collegiate Classic."
GAME INFORMATION
Team Scores: University of Dallas (5), Hendrix College (4)
Team Records: Dallas (2-2), Hendrix (0-1)
Pitching Records: W) A. Griesbauer (1-0), L) Furey (0-1), S) Marshall (1)
NOTABLE STATISTICS
- Abraham Griesbauer (Troy, Mo.) earned the victory in relief. He kept his scoreless streak at seven innings and threw five out of the pen. The southpaw fanned a career-high six with no walks.
- Seth Hanson (Apache Junction, Ariz.) has hit safely in past three games with his 2nd 2-for-4 day. He also had the go-ahead RBI, a double, and a run scored.
- For the 3rd straight contest, Dallas has posted seven hits.
- Jordan Stickler (Grand Rapids, Mich.) picked up a hit for the 3rd game out of four played. He scored the game-tying run. Josh Abalos (Lewisville, Texas) came across on the eventual game-winning run from Hanson's sacrifice fly.
- William Marshall (Frisco, Texas) threw a scoreless 9th for his 1st save of the year.
- Hendrix was led by Josh Walker and Matthew Lillard with a pair of hits and ribbies each.
- Wyatt Hogan and Justin Robison also had multiple hits at the plate.
- The Warriors posted nine hits and were perfect in the field until two outs left in the 9th.
- On the mound, Taylor Barker went seven innings and pitched around six hits. He allowed a run, walked two, and struck out three.
- Skylar Furey was saddled in the loss with no hits allowed and four unearned runs allowed.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Dallas dropped behind in the bottom of the first inning. The Warriors plated a pair of runs as Walker and Lillard swung hits respectively back-to-back on singles down the right field line and to center field. Another pair of runs would come in the third frame. It was this same tandem of run production with Walker hitting a sacrifice fly out to score Jorge Leon, who started the inning by being hit by a pitch. Lillard drove in Hogan on a single to center and gave Hendrix a 4-0 edge.
The Crusaders offense was trying to battle back but left three runners in the previous two innings. In the top half of the next inning, Dallas finally broke through with Nathan Patton (McKinney, Texas) lacing an RBI-single to center. He hustled to second on the throw putting two runners in scoring position with one out. However, a pair of outs with a Stickler walk in between left the bases loaded. UD would strand 10 overall.
The Warriors pitching staff shut down UD with only an infield single by Zachary Taylor (Humble, Texas) being the next baserunner from the 5th through 8th inning. His knock came with one out in the 6th, as Dallas would then be sat down nine in a row.
After Taylor grounded out to start the final inning, Mark Peterson (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Paul Scioli (Lubbock, Texas) drew consecutive pinch hit walks. Stickler would reach on a fielder's choice back to the pitcher. A bad throw by Furey that bounced off the 2nd base glove and went towards left field allowed everyone to move up 90 feet. Down 4-2, Abalos smacked a groundball to short stop but a bobble allowed no play to be made and suddenly it was a one-run gap.
Colten Poellinger was summoned from the bullpen but the infield defense plagued Hendrix a third time in a row. Zach San Roman (Miami, Fla.) reached on a throwing error by the 3rd baseman that pulled the 1st sacker off the bag. With first and second and still only an out, Luke Boylson (Fairfield, Texas) ripped a single to right field for the lone knock of the inning. The team's leading hitter, Hanson, would sky a fly ball to center that was plenty deep for Stickler to run home and complete the stunning rally.
Being the visitors at the neutral park, Marshall came on for the Crusaders in the bottom half of the 9th and worked around a one-out walk. Hendrix's number three hitter, Hogan, lifted a fly ball to right field that was secured to end the game.
QUOTABLE
"The guys kept grinding. We had Peterson and Scioli pinch hit and draw walks to get things started. Once the table was set we rode the momentum and had a big hit by Boylson. Just battled until the last out. Really in order for us to be able to do that, Abe Griesbauer was the true story keep them at bay. He was incredible." – Head Coach Joe Myer's on UD's 9th inning rally and strong relief performance from Griesbauer
UP NEXT
Dallas is back at AirHogs Stadium tomorrow night against Concordia University. First pitch is slated for around 6 p.m.