Tough Ending snuffs Crusaders rally in Game 1; Drop two at Austin College
SHERMAN, Texas – In the first game, the University of Dallas baseball team rallied back with three runs in the 8th inning and had the tying run 90 feet with one out in the 9th. However, Austin College was able to hang on to a 6-5 victory in the series opener at home.
Game two was another tight game with both teams scoring in bunches. A combined 25 hits on both sides occurred and three four-run innings altogether in the third-fifth happened. Two of them belonged to the 'Roos, who captured at least the series win in 10-6 fashion.
GAME 1 INFORMATION
Team Scores: University of Dallas (5), Austin College (6)
Team Records: Dallas (7-14, 1-3 SCAC), Austin (6-15, 1-3 SCAC)
Pitcher of Record: W) Thomas (1-4), L) Hammonds (1-3), S) Taff (1)
NOTABLE STATISTICS
- Nathan Patton (McKinney, Texas) went 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of Crusaders. He now has 10 on the campaign.
- Paul Scioli (Lubbock, Texas) went 1-for-2 with a double and two ribbies off the bench.
- Josh Abalos (Lewisville, Texas) was the other UD player to have a multi-hit game (2-3) and drew one of the team's seven walks.
- Jordan Stickler (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Seth Hanson (Apache Junction, Ariz.) each scored twice and drew a pair of walks. The duo also swiped two bags apiece, and Dallas had five altogether, which is the 3rd highest in a single matchup this season.
- Ryan Hammonds (Cedar Hill, Texas) threw six innings and allowed five runs (4 earned) on 10 hits in the loss. This is his 1st outing in six appearances to not make it through seven frames.
- Abraham Griesbauer (Troy, Mo.) allowed a run in two innings to snap his scoreless streak.
- Austin College banged out 14 knocks. Three were doubles from Austin Dudley, Thomas Oberg, and Gus Daniel. Chance Hatchel homered.
- The top two hitters in the lineup, Dudley and Oberg, both posted game-highs in hits (3), while Dudley scored three times. The top three hitters in the order combined to score all but one run.
- Eight different batters recorded a hit, and six had multiple knocks.
- Christian Thomas earned the win in seven innings during his start. He allowed three runs on six hits while walking five and striking out eight.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Crusaders got on the board in the first inning with a two-spot. Patton was able to smack a two-out single up the middle to drive in Stickler and Hanson. The two had singled and walked, respectively.
Austin College chipped back with a run in the third and the fifth to knot the contest at 2. An error by UD's second baseman extended the inning as Dudley would score on the next at bat from a Scott Gelbart groundout that would have ended the frame. Two innings later, Daniel singled to right with two outs and Dudley scored after also going to right for a hit three batters prior.
A four-run 7th broke the tie in favor of the 'Roos and helped make the difference in the result. Hatchel began the inning with a homer to right. Consecutive singles from Dudley and Oberg ended Hammond's day for Dallas. Gelbart greeted Griesbauer with a single to left for an RBI. A pair of ribbies by Daniel that stayed just fair down the left field line rounded out the scoring. Griesbauer then got three straight outs after a single by Brett Taff put runners on the corners for AC following the big knock to make it 6-2.
Dallas responded with three runs in its next turn to bat. Stickler walked and Hanson was hit by pitch to put the first two visiting runners on. The top two hitters on the squad coming into the series scored on a Scioli double to left field. An error allowed Patton to reach and then with Zach Taylor (Humble, Texas) pinch hitting, the 'Roos pitcher, Braley Williams, got called for a balk to score Scioli and cut the deficit to one. Three straight outs for UD left a runner stranded at second.
In the 9th, the Crusaders threatened again with the first two batters reaching. Abalos singled and JP Fasone (Englewood, Colo.) walked. After a Stickler sacrifice bunt, Austin College changed pitchers with Taff entering. Hanson was given an intentional walk to load the bases. On the next play, all the runners broke and Abalos was called out at home on interference. A strikeout on the batter secured the ballgame for Austin College.
GAME 2 INFORMATION
Team Scores: University of Dallas (6), Austin College (10)
Team Records: Dallas (7-15, 1-4 SCAC), Austin (7-15, 2-3 SCAC)
Pitcher of Record: W) Logsdon (1-0), L) Morden (0-1)
NOTABLE STATISTICS
- The Crusaders smacked 12 hits.
- Patton had another two-hit game and pair of runs driven in for a quartet in the two contests.
- The third baseman and Abalos each tagged a double and both crossed home once.
- Abalos, Scioli, and Fasone were the other multi-hit guys in the lineup. The latter two mentioned each drove in one.
- The Crusaders walked five times and left 10 on base.
- Austin College stranded 11 and committed five errors. However, it took advantage of three errors UD made.
- Cole Morden (Arlington, Texas) was saddled with the loss in relief after taking over for Eric Felchak (The Woodlands, Texas). Half of the runs by the duo were unearned.
- Oberg led the 'Roos with another three-hit game, and Daniel contributed a 3-for-4 with two RBI. Bennett Reagan and Chance Hatchel each added a pair of ribbies to go with as many knocks.
- The home team produced four doubles from as many individuals: Dudley, Oberg, Daniel, and Oscar Gonzalez. Hatchel added a triple for the 5th extra base hit.
- Tanner Logsdon threw five innings of relief for starter Chase Almaguer. He was able to keep UD hitless and off the board as he faced 19. He walked two and struck out four.
HOW IT HAPPENED
All 16 runs between the squads happened throughout the first five innings. This included the first inning and a half. Hanson reached on an error that scored Fasone to give the Crusaders a 1-0 advantage. Austin College countered with a pair in the bottom half, as Daniel singled to left for an RBI and then Oberg later scored after an at bat later on a wild pitch. A Scioli single to right center in the 2nd knotted the game back at two runs apiece. It was his third RBI of the afternoon between the two games.
After the team's finally exchanged zeros during their respective trips to bat, the 'Roos broke the deadlock with a four-run 3rd. Four hits powered the inning with two of them coming on run production knocks from Reagan to left center and Hatchel up the middle. Both knocks drove in a pair. Only one of the runs was earned due to an error that allowed Taff to reach with one out.
The guests immediately were resilient on a four-spot their next turn to the plate. The Crusaders clobbered six hits with half of them coming to the first three hitters in the span. Abalos led off with a two-bagger. Fasone scored the shortstop on a single to right. Stickler bunted for a hit and then Hanson walked to juice the bases. Patton, who batted cleanup this game, doubled to score Stickler and Fasone. Hanson was out at home try to score. The tying run for Dallas did cross two batters later with Taylor singled to center after Zach San Roman (Miami, Fla.) drew an intentional walk.
Austin College had another huge inning left in them. This was 3rd time this series, that the Maroon and Gold posted four runs. In the bottom of the 5th, the 'Roos claimed their final lead for good on what would eventually be the final tally. Five hits backed the effort including an RBI single to second by Dudley. Daniel doubled to left to score the final run.
Dallas went to William Marshall (Frisco, Texas) for the final out of that inning, which was a strikeout looking to Gonzalez. The right-hander threw 3.1 shutout frames to keep the score where it was at.
The Crusaders only managed five base runners against Logsdon, which two were walks and one hit batsman. The other two were players reaching on an error. Both miscues for the 'Roos were in the 9th to give the opposition life. However, a lineout double play ended the day for UD.
UP NEXT
Dallas plays the series finale at Austin College Sunday with a scheduled first pitch at 1 p.m.