10th Inning Walk-Off for Baseball on Saturday over Concordia University
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – For the second straight night, the University of Dallas baseball team scored the go-ahead run in its final turn to bat. On Saturday night, the Crusaders were the home team at AirHogs Stadium in day two of the "Rusty Greer & Jackie Moore Collegiate Classic." Deadlocked at 2-all against Concordia University in the 10th inning, Colby Davenport (Crockett, Texas) ripped his first collegiate hit to left field. After a mishandle by the Tornadoes leftfielder, JP Fasone (Englewood, Colo.) raced home and was mobbed by his teammates as the Crusaders came from behind consecutive nights after trailing at least the first six and a half innings.
GAME INFORMATION
Team Scores: Concordia University (2), University of Dallas (3) (F/10)
Team Records: Concordia (1-4), Dallas (3-2)
Pitcher of Record: W) Marshall (1-0), L) Harrell (0-1)
NOTABLE STATISTICS
- The Crusaders have won their past three extra inning contests (all 10 innings) dating back to end of last season with two in the Centenary series in Irving. Dallas has won 4-of-5 previous extra inning contests that went exactly 10 (dating to 2014).
- Seth Hanson (Apache Junction, Ariz.) singled in his 1st AB to give him a four-game hitting streak. He also has earned a hit in all appearances this young season.
- Nathan Patton (McKinney, Texas) produced the lone multi-hit game by UD with a 2-for-4. He was credited with the only runs batted in with two.
- Paul Scioli (Lubbock, Texas) and Fasone completed the team's six hits with one apiece and each scored a run. Scioli had the lone extra base hit for the home side (double).
- Ryan Hammonds (Cedar Hill, Texas) pitched his 2nd start this year and went seven innings again. The SCAC Pitcher of the Week scattered five hits and allowed two runs (both homers), while walking one and fanning four.
- William Marshall (Frisco, Texas) pitched the remaining three innings (9th time in career to go 3 or more) of relief. He struck out three while posting zeros until Dallas had a chance to go-ahead or walk-off. After getting a save yesterday, Marshall picked up his first win of the campaign.
- Concordia was led by Colton Poindexter with a 2-for-3. One of those knocks was a round tripper, as he and Bret Leiferman both etched homers. The latter was an inside the park.
- On the mound for the gray were four arms by the end of the night. Lefthanded pitcher Jake Valadez started and went six innings while allowing two hits and walking three. He gave way for Ryan Capel in the seventh, who allowed a pair through 0.2 IP. Trey Toney got the final out before another southpaw, Kylen Harrell, would be saddled in the tough loss by going 2.1 innings. He allowed a pair of hits and walks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It is a young season, but both teams entered hitting under .200 batting averages on the year. Coupled with two senior pitchers in Valadez and Hammonds, the ingredients for a low scoring night came to fruition through the first five frames.
The Crusaders threatened in their first turn to bat. Fasone drew a one-out walk and stole second. Hanson extended his hitting streak with a single through the left side to put runners on the corners. Zach San Roman (Miami, Fla.) appeared to beat out a fielder's choice that would have driven in the first UD run, but Hanson was called for interference on the slide at second and resulted in an inning-ending double play.
Most of the night belonged to the Crusaders' defense. It started in the next half as Concordia's Race Mellman was picked off at 2B by Hammonds. Mellman had beaten out an infield single and stolen second with one out before that momentum changing play made it two outs. Matthew Williams would be caught looking for the first punch out by the Dallas starter that night.
There were three pickoffs overall between the teams combined. Concordia fell victim to the first two. The next was an inning later this time with Poindexter getting caught trying to beat the throw over to second. Hammonds, Zach Taylor (Humble, Texas), and Josh Abalos (Lewisville, Texas) teamed up on the picked off, caught stealing sequence.
Through five innings, the squads had combined to post four hits, with one from Dallas. In the midst of a pitcher's duel, the Tornadoes did break the scoreless game in the 6th as Poindexter turned on a first-pitch from Hammonds and sent it over the left field wall. That ended Hammond's shutout streak at 12.1 innings to start the season.
Concordia added a run in the 7th behind Leiferman driving a liner to left center. He raced around the diamond for an inside the park homer. That was the second of the classic that day, as University of Texas at Dallas also achieved the feat in the first game of the tripleheader.
The Crusaders found offense after Capel entered to start the bottom part of the inning. San Roman led off with his 2nd-of-3 walks. Scioli followed back-to-back strikeouts with a double down the right field line. With two in scoring position, Patton singled on a difficult bouncer between third and shortstop. Scioli had made a huge lead on the pitch and got a good jump. His hustle allowed the tying run to count on that two-out play and even the score 2-all.
In the top of the 9th, Dallas made a crucial play again as Michael Evan singled to center for CTX. A bad throw over allowed Evan to advance to second, but he tried to reach an extra 90 feet and was thrown out by Luke Boylson (Fairview, Texas) from down the right field line. That made it two outs and resulted in Marshall retiring the final batter.
Dallas eventually would get the offense needed in that key 10th inning win. Jordan Stickler (Grand Rapids, Mich.) started the rally with a walk. Fasone reached on a sacrifice bunt as Stickler was out at 2B on the play. Hanson worked the count full before hit by pitch to set up Davenport's heroics. The last three games played by UD at AirHogs stadium have been one-run games.
UP NEXT
Dallas concludes the "Rusty Greer & Jackie Moore Collegiate Classic" Sunday against Hardin-Simmons University. First pitch is slated for around 4 p.m.