Crusaders drop Series to Southwestern
IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas baseball team dropped the rubber matchup in the series to Southwestern University on Sunday. The Crusaders were topped in seven innings of a run-ruled finale, as Southwestern collectively posted 15 hits and scored in five different innings to secure its second win in a row this weekend.
GAME INFORMATION
Team Scores: Southwestern University (11), University Dallas (0) (Final 7 innings)
Team Records: Southwestern (18-14, 7-5), Dallas (12-20, 3-9 SCAC)
Pitching Records: W) Hunter (4-2), L) Voss (2-5)
NOTABLE STATISTICS
- Jordan Stickler (Grand Rapids, Mich.) was one-of-two players for Dallas with a pair of hits. His two knocks extended his hitting streak to five. The leadoff man hitter has now reached safely in his past 24 games.
- Nathan Patton (McKinney, Texas) remained hot with an active team-long hitting streak of seven after his 2-for-3 showing.
- Mark Peterson (Cincinnati, Ohio) posted a hit to advance his hitting streak to six.
- Paul Scioli (Lubbock, Texas) clobbered UD's only extra base hit for a double. It was his second two-bagger in consecutive games for the sophomore.
- William Marshall (Frisco, Texas) worked 1.1 innings for the third game of the series. He fanned two while allowing a hit and walk.
- Ethan Hallmark headlined Southwestern's offense with four hits (4-5), two doubles, three runs scored, and an RBI. Cameron Cooper drove in a game-high three runs.
- Daniel Montgomery JR. (3-4) added a big day at the plate, with one extra base knock including a double. The team had four doubles altogether to go with two homers.
- Colton Hunter threw a shutout with six hits and a walk given up. He struck out nine. That gave the Pirates 29 combined in their two wins over the weekend.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Pirates scored in the first inning all three contests this series. On Sunday, the guests started with a pair of runs to build an early lead that would not be relinquished. For the third straight game of this series, Colby Schmidt walked to start the ballgame. Hallmark doubled down the left field line to put two runners in scoring position. Little became the third straight baserunner of the inning with an RBI-single back up the middle. Conrad Voss (Corona, Calif.) finally retired his first batter by inducing a groundout double play by Cooper. Hallmark did score on the play. After another hit down the right field line for a single, Voss struck out Cole Kelly to end the frame.
In the bottom half of the first, Dallas immediately challenged to get some runs back. Stickler singled through the left side to extend his on-base streak. A sacrifice bunt moved him to second, and then the home squad was gifted on a dropped fly ball by the left fielder as Seth Hanson (Apache Junction, Ariz.) lifted the high fly and reached second on the sequence. Stickler had gone to third. A shallow fly ball off Patton's bat to center was not far enough and Stickler was caught in a rundown trying to return to third.
Hallmark homered to left with one gone in the third inning to increase the lead to 3-0.
The Crusaders kept fighting for chances early in this game as they placed runners on in five innings. This included four with two on and three with two runners in scoring position, but Dallas was unable to capitalize on the chances.
In the home half of the third, Enrique Vigil (San Antonio, Texas) drew the team's only walk and Stickler bunted for a single down at third base. Back-to-back strikeouts ended the inning.
Southwestern pounded a trio of runs to double the scoring output in the next inning. Kelly led off with a walk and stole second. After a strikeout for the first out, Kelly advanced on a wild pitch. Montgomery split the gap with a double to right center. That ended the outing for Voss as Eric Felchak (The Woodlands, Texas) relieved him. A pair of singles came on the next batters, which included an RBI smacked by Schmidt on the left side. A walk loaded the bases and Marshall was brought in. He walked Cooper on a 3-2 pitch score the final run that inning.
In the next half, the Crusaders mustered a pair of runners for the second frame in a row. Patton started things with a single up the middle and moved to third as Scioli dropped a two-out double down to left. That was where the two were left as a strikeout ended the inning.
The visitors carried the momentum with five runs between the sixth and seventh innings. This included a four-run span in the last at bat for the Pirates, with three runs being unearned.
UP NEXT
Dallas hosts its final three home games this season with defending NCAA Division III Champion Trinity University visiting on April 14-15. A doubleheader on that Friday starts at 12 p.m.