Baseball claims 1st SCAC Win with Split at Southwestern
GEORGETOWN, Texas – The University of Dallas baseball team responded to a difficult walk-off in game one, by defeating Southwestern University in a convincing 11-3 victory in game two to split Saturday's twinbill. It also ended a six-game slide, and was the first conference win for the Crusaders.
The Crusaders trailed as many as three runs in the series opener, and came back to claim a narrow 8-7 lead with three straight runs in the final two innings. This included the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth on an RBI-single by Nathan Patton (McKinney, Texas). However, the Pirates walked off their last at bat with Byron Dowdell II smacking a two-run homer with two outs to stun UD.
It was a resilient day for the guests, as another three-run start lifted them early in the next contest. After Southwestern evened things in the fourth, it was home runs by Seth Hanson (Apache Junction, Ariz.) and Luke Boylson (Fairview, Texas) – his second in consecutive games back – that sparked eight unanswered runs to force a rubber game Sunday. Boylson also combined for six ribbies with three-per-game.
(Game 1 Information)
Team Scores: Dallas (8), Southwestern (9)
Team Records: Dallas (7-14, 0-4 SCAC), Southwestern (7-9, 1-3 SCAC)
Pitcher Records: W) Clark (1-0), L) Voss (3-4)
The Crusaders started with a 2-0 edge in their first turn to bat. An error allowed Jessup Scott (Lewiston, Idaho) to reach and get his team on the board. That miscue was costly as Zachary Taylor (Humble, Texas) singled down the right field line to drive in the other run in the extended inning.
Taylor enjoyed a perfect day at the plate (3-3) with a game-high in hits to go with a walk. He drove in UD's third run in the third frame.
Southwestern had cut the deficit in half the previous inning from Taylor's hit in the third. Cole Kelly lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1. Colby Schmidt scored on the play.
Tyler Montemayor (Boerne, Texas) made the start for the Crusaders and that first run was the lone earned run he allowed. Four errors in the game were committed by UD. Montemayor was victimized in the outing by five unearned runs. He also yielded seven hits, a walk, and two strikeouts in five frames.
Three runs in the third headlined a stretch of five straight innings the Pirates tallied a run. Schmidt knocked a double down the left field line and drove in two runs to give them their first lead of the day, 4-3. Singles in the fifth and sixth helped SU extend the advantage by three runs.
Boylson, who had missed the last five games, clobbered his first home run in the sixth with Taylor aboard to narrow the margin to a run.
The Pirates got a run back in the bottom of the inning.
In the eighth, Hanson was able to lay down a suicide squeeze that brought home Michael Ilardi (Atascocita, Texas). Boylson followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Enrique Vigil (San Antonio, Texas), who had pinch run for Taylor. That tied things at 7.
After Conrad Voss (Corona, Calif.) tossed his second straight scoreless inning in relief, the Crusaders were able to scratch across a run in the ninth. Jordan Stickler (Grand Rapids, Mich.) kept his on-base streak alive with a single to lead off. Joseph Vondrachek (North St. Paul, Minn.) advanced him over on a sacrifice bunt. A balk moved Stickler to third. With the infield in, UD's RBI-leader Patton poked a hit up the middle to make it 8-7.
Voss could not close out his fourth inning, however. With one on and two away, Dowdell turned on a 2-0 pitch sending it over the left field wall for the final. He struck out four and walked two to go with three runs on three hits in 3.2 innings.
Taylor doubled as part of his big game. Patton and Illardi added 2-for-4's and a walk apiece. Patton scored two runs and stole a base. Josh Abalos (Lewisville, Texas) also had a base swipe.
Both teams tallied 10 hits.
Jason McCormack and Schmidt posted a pair of hits and ribbies for the Pirates. Austin Smith matched a game-high three base knocks.
(Game 2 Information)
Team Scores: Dallas (11), Southwestern (3)
Team Records: Dallas (8-14, 1-4 SCAC), Southwestern (7-10, 1-4 SCAC)
Pitcher Records: W) A. Griesbauer (2-2), L) Preston (1-1)
The earlier result did not dim Dallas' spirit, as the road team went up 2-0 in the first inning a second time that afternoon. Taylor singled down the right field line to score Stickler. He moved to second on a failed pickoff, and Scott was able to hustle home for the other run.
Patton added a single run on a hit through the left side. His RBI got Hanson home.
Five combined home runs were garnered; with Kelly posting a two-run shot that started the fourth. Daniel Montgomery Jr. was able to knot the score in that same inning with a ball up the middle.
Boylson broke the deadlock for good with another round-tripper in the next half inning. Hanson lifted his fourth dinger to extend his team-lead and match a personal-best from 2017 to spark a huge sixth.
UD ended up plating five runs that inning. The long ball started the six-hit frame, which included singles by Vondrachek, Scott, and Patton to load the bases. With one out, Taylor notched his second RBI with a sacrifice fly out to center. A walk to Ilardi loaded the bags again, and Boylson and Paul Scioli (Lubbock, Texas) went back-to-back respectively with a single and double to the same area in right. Boylson's hit drove in two and secured his second contest with a trio of runs-batted-in.
UD completed the scoring with a run in the seventh and ninth. Joseph Griesbauer (Troy, Mo.) tripled in his lone at bat in the ninth for that RBI. Boylson finished with a career-high 4 hits and was a double shy of the cycle. His only other 3-hit performance was on Feb. 28th at East Texas Baptist (3-3, HR, two runs, walk).
Stickler displayed a perfect game at the dish going 3-for-3 with a walk and a run. His on-base streak is now 53 games in a row dating to last year, and the pair of steals increased his season total to 19.
Patton extended his hit-streak to 12. He formed a trio along with Hanson, and Vondrachek contributed the remaining multiple hit showings. Vondracheck doubled his runs scored total to six with a personal-high three.
Abraham Griesbauer (Troy, Mo.) picked up the win in relief as he threw three innings and scattered two hits. The senior did not surrender a run or walk, while striking out three. The Pirates had threatened with the bases loaded in the seventh during a 10-3 deficit, but Griesbauer got a double play to keep the score the same.
All three pitchers for UD were lefthanders, as Jamie Wallace (Crocket, Texas) and Andrew Magness (San Antonio, Texas) appeared on the mound. Wallace made his fifth start.
The Crusaders etched 17 hits to match a season-best with the third contest of the year at Sul Ross State University (Feb. 4). Southwestern was held to six by just as many individuals.
Will Preston allowed six runs on 10 hits in five innings. The starter struck out seven, and three pitchers for Southwestern managed to punch out 11.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Final | #UDCrusaders WIN! Bounced back to split the day at Southwestern! Boylson ripped another HR and had a huge game at the plate! Hanson blasted his team-leading 4th HR! | @UDallasBaseball #GoUD #UDBASE #SCACbsb #d3b pic.twitter.com/SkHJ5gv3t0
— UDallas Athletics (@UDallasSports) March 25, 2018
UP NEXT
The final game of the series will be played a 1 p.m. on Sunday.