Sloppy Play on a Sloppy Day; Howard Payne edges Crusaders for Series Win
IRVING, Texas – Rainfall occurred throughout last night and into most of the day on Sunday, including the first pitch a little after 2 p.m. Nonetheless, the University of Dallas baseball team and Howard Payne University battled in the slick conditions and combined for 23 runs, 26 hits, and 10 errors. Howard Payne ended up prevailing 13-10 in a matchup that secured the series 2-1 over the Crusaders.
GAME INFORMATION
Team Scores: Howard Payne University (13), University of Dallas (10)
Team Records: Howard Payne (8-7), Dallas (5-9)
Pitching Records: W) Anders (2-0) L) Marshall (1-1) S) Moseley (5)
NOTABLE STATISTICS
- Sunday's double-digit numbers in runs and hits were both season-highs for the squad.
- Dallas also surpassed a season-high in fielding errors (6).
- A trio of Crusaders posted multiple hits (2-4) which included: Jordan Stickler (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Nathan Patton (McKinney, Texas), and Colby Davenport (Crockett, Texas).
- Patton drove in a personal best three runners and had four RBI in the series. He also finished with four hits overall.
- Stickler also collected four hits and crossed home a career-most four times. He has scored six times in the last two games.
- Davenport added a ribbie with his second multi-hit contest of the year.
- Seth Hanson (Apache Junction, Ariz.) picked back up after his 10-game hitting streak to start his career was snapped Saturday with a hit in his lone at bat. He walked and was hit by pitch twice apiece.
- Hanson's knock was one of UD's two doubles and his counted for a pair runs batted in. Mark Peterson (Cincinnati, Ohio) clobbered the other two-bagger.
- Conrad Voss (Corona, Calif.) started and struck out his second highest amount of opponent batters (6) in his 4th career outing. Voss allowed seven runs (5 earned) on six hits with four walks in 4.1 innings. He did not qualify for the decision.
- William Marshall (Frisco, Texas) got saddled with loss in relief during Howard Payne's huge eight-run 5th.
- Blake Palmer (Coppell, Texas) threw 3.2 innings scoreless innings after and struck out four (tied career-high twice from 2015).
- The Dallas staff combined for 10 strikeouts for the 4th time this year. It is the 5th time and three shy of a season-best in punch outs.
- Pitchers were not gripping the ball well as the Crusaders were plunked three times (season-most), while HPU had one.
- The Yellow Jackets had five players with more than one hit. Benjamin Lewis highlighted the quintet with a 4-for-5, game-high five RBI, two runs scored, and a trio of doubles. Brett Quackenbush recorded the other extra base hit with a two-bagger of his own.
- Cliff Lunceford followed in hits with three. He scored just as many runs and stole a base. Quackenbush swiped the other HPU steal.
- Kyle Ramon started and went 2.1 innings in a no decision. Chad Anders qualified for the win pitching 2.2 innings and was on the mound once the Yellow Jackets regained the lead for good in the 5th.
- Zach Moseley notched his second save in as many victories by garnering the final four outs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
With one out Stickler jump started the Dallas offense in the first inning with a single up the middle. He moved to second on a passed ball before Hanson eventually walked. Patton singled to right field to break the scoreless tie.
The team's traded zeros in the second inning and that would be just one-of-two frames (6th being other) that neither side scored in an inning. Most of it was due to the Crusaders, since they scored in five, compared to HPU's three.
Howard Payne made the most of its innings that had runs with four coming in the 3rd. A four-spot matched as many hits for the Yellow Jackets. Lunceford followed a Joshua Gerig leadoff single to center by reaching on a fielding error that went through the second baseman legs. Gerig was awarded home after Dallas airmailed a throw out of play over third base dugout. Quackenbush singled through the right side and Lewis came next with a double to left center. Those runs driven in lifted the guests to a 3-1 edge. David Groves completed the scoring with an RBI hit up the middle to score Lewis.
The Crusaders quickly answered back with two runs in their next at bat in the bottom of the frame. Josh Abalos (Lewisville, Texas) started the rally with a walk and stole second for the team's lone theft of the day. Two batters later Stickler beat out a single to first and Abalos hustled to third. During Hanson's next at bat, Stickler was caught leaning and appeared picked off but a poor throw by HPU's starter, Ramon, skipped short by a covering second baseman and went to the outfield. Abalos scored and Stickler moved to scoring position.
Hanson drew his second walk of the day and then the third of the inning to Peterson ended Ramon's day. Anders plunked his first batter faced in Patton to make it 4-3. Dallas was unable to gain more as a double play started at home squashed the threat.
The home team retained the momentum into the 4th and as the defense closed the top half on a double play of its own. In the bottom part, the Crusaders mustered their highest scoring inning of the game with four and completed a stretch of six unanswered runs to reclaim a three-run lead (7-4). Brice Cell (Keller, Texas) started things with a single up the middle and Davenport walked. Abalos bounced a slow chopper to second that was tough to handle and Cell scored to knot things up. After the Yellow Jackets gained the second out on a play at home, Hanson doubled to right field to raise UD in front 6-4. Peterson then soared a fly ball to left that was not caught and Hanson scored to complete run count.
Unfortunately the Yellow Jackets countered with 14 batters coming up in the next inning. Altogether there were eight runs, six hits, and two errors that led to scoring plays. The first was a ball that allowed HPU to tie the game with a pair of runs. With the visitors up 8-7 on a Gerig single to right center, Lunceford came up with a single that loaded the bags. Noah Payne then popped a deep fly ball to center that appeared to be a sacrifice fly, but another misplay allowed two more runs to score. It was 12-7 by the final out of the 5th.
UD dug in after two straight innings of going quiet. Davenport drove in Paul Scioli (Lubbock, Texas) who singled to second and advanced with two outs on a passed ball. In the 8th, the Crusaders got a Peterson double down the left field line that scored Stickler who had reached on a HPU shortstop throwing error. Hanson was thrown out trying to follow on same play by a good relay from short nipped him for the second out. Patton did go the other way again and Dallas trailed by two anyways (12-10) with four outs remaining.
Mosely came out of the bullpen for Howard Payne and got Scioli to ground out. The Yellow Jackets tacked on an insurance run in the 9th and Dallas went down in order.
UP NEXT
Dallas takes a day off tomorrow before hosting Dallas Christian College from up the road on Tuesday at 3 p.m. That is the final non-conference opponent of a 15-game stretch to start the campaign. On March 11-12, the Crusaders will start Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) action against defending regular season title winner, Texas Lutheran University.