Crusaders Stun No. 5 Texas Lutheran University With 12-inning Walk-Off Win
IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas baseball team upset No. 5 Texas Lutheran University 4-3 after Jessup Scott (Lewiston, Idaho) drove in the game-winning run with a base hit to right field to complete the 12-inning walk-off victory. Scott helped lead the charge on the day with three RBI including a game-tying homerun in the seventh inning. Dallas pitching was excellent as Andrew Magness (San Antonio, Texas) pitched a career-high nine innings and held the Bulldogs to six hits and three runs along with a personal-best eight stikeouts. Jamie Wallace (Crockett, Texas) pitched the final three innings allowing no hits and no runs with just one walk given up to lead the Crusaders to its first extra-inning win since 2017. The win also gave Dallas number 13, which topped its 2018 total.
(Game Information)
Team Scores: Texas Lutheran (3), Dallas (4)
Team Records: Texas Lutheran (18-7, 4-2 SCAC), Dallas (13-13, 2-7 SCAC)
Pitcher Records: W) Jamie Wallace (4-2), L) Cody Rimko (2-2)
With two runners on and two outs, Mark Peterson (Cincinnati, Ohio) loaded up the bases with a walk in the Crusaders first inning. Josh Abalos (Lewisville, Texas) reached base safely due to a fielding error by the shortstop to put Dallas on top early. Magness shut down the Bulldogs in order in the second and third inning. UD got two runners on in the third, but nothing came of it.
In the fourth, Thomas Varner got the TLU offense rolling with a single and a steal of second. Tyler Cauley later drove him in to tie the ballgame at one. Dallas threatened in the fourth after a single by Paul Scioli (Lubbock, Texas) and a double by Maximillian Costello (Anchorage, Alaska) to deep right field, but Costello ended up getting tagged out on the play. Scioli was later left stranded. Both teams went down easy in the fifth and sixth innings. Spencer Brandt drove in a run in the seventh for TLU to put them up 3-1 heading into the bottom half of the inning.
With two outs and a runner on base, Scott then blasted a game-tying homerun over the right field fence to tie the ballgame for his second homerun on the campaign. TLU threatened in the eighth and ninth, but Dallas pitching kept them at bay to send the game to extra innings. Wallace came in to relieve Magness in the 10th and shut TLU down 1-2-3. Dallas gained a base runner in their half of the inning but were unable to bring anyone around. The Bulldogs gained a base runner after a swinging strikeout and a passed ball by the catcher. Wallace then got the final two outs to send Dallas to the bottom of the 12th.
Joseph Vondrachek (North St. Paul, Minn.) led off the inning with a single up the middle. Jordan Stickler (Grand Rapids, Mich.) did his job by moving him to second with a sacrifice bunt. Scott then singled to right field as Vondrachek rounded third base and was heading for home, but was interfered by the third baseman and was eventually ruled to score the game-winning run. The Crusaders are now 8-6 in SCAC extra-inning wins.
Scott was the big hitter for Dallas with two hits, three RBI, and a run scored. Abalos had a two for five day at the plate. Costello notched two hits and a run scored. Dallas pitching was phenomenal on the day with Magness and Wallace keeping the TLU bats in check. Scioli gunned down two TLU runners on the day and three in the series to help out the Dallas defense.
Spencer Brandt and Varner both had two hits on the day to lead TLU in that category. Cullen Motsinger scored two runs and drew three walks. Matthew Hickey pitched 3.1 innings and gave up two one earned run. Drew Walker pitched 2.2 innings and held Dallas to no runs off three hits. Joe Burch pitched an inning and gave up two runs off two hits. Cody Rimko threw the final 4.1 innings and gave up the game-winning run and four hits.
Dallas notched its first home conference win in extra innings since 2016 versus Centenary College.
This was the longest game for UD since 2010 when Dallas went 13 innings with Texas Wesleyan University.
UP NEXT
Dallas will travel to take on Thomas More University next weekend (Mar. 6-7) for a non-conference three-game series. Saturday's doubleheader will begin at 12:00 p.m. On Sunday the finale is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.