UD Baseball Falls in Doubleheader to Start Series at No. 17 Centenary College
SHREVEPORT, La. - The University of Dallas Crusaders lost the first two games of their three game series against Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) opponent #17 ranked Centenary College of Louisiana. UD was shut down by the SCAC wins and strikeout leader Preston Ludwick in game one. In game two, Centenary put together a pair of early inning rallies to build a big lead that they never relinquished.
(Game 1 Information)
Team Scores: Dallas (1) Centenary (5)
Team Records: Dallas (5-11) Centenary (21-2)
Pitcher Records: W) Preston Ludwick (6-0), L) Conrad Voss (0-4)
Centenary started the scoring off in the bottom of the second inning. After an initial hit batsman by UD starting pitcher Conrad Voss (Corona, Calif.), UD catcher Ross Lowe (Lewisville, Texas) threw out the runner attempting to steal second. After a single and a foul out to third, Gents's second baseman Cole Collins doubled to left center to drive in the first run of the game. Nine-hole hitter Brady Robinson then hit an RBI single up the middle, and then eventually scored after Gary Hewitt singled and center fielder Michael Anderson (Denver, Colo.) erred.
Dallas got their only run of the game in the fifth inning. Michael Jaquez (Irving, Texas) led off the inning with a single Lowe reached on a fielder's choice in which Jaquez safely reached second. After a ground out by Tyler Darnell (Southlake, Texas), Anderson hit a sacrifice fly to center to make the score 3-1.
Centenary tacked on their final two runs in the sixth inning. After putting two men on off of an error and a walk, Tyler Welch grounded out to advance the runners and then Collins doubled to left for two RBIs. Collins was then caught stealing during the next at-bat to give Lowe his second caught stealing put out of the game.
Voss pitched a complete game for Dallas going eight innings allowing eight hits, five runs, only two of them earned with one walk and one strikeout. This was the first complete game Voss pitched since pitching a seven-inning game complete game against Howard Payne on February 15, 2020, and it was the first full game complete game Voss had pitched since UD played Trinity University on April 21, 2018.
Joe Vondrachek (North St. Paul, Minn.) also stole two bases in game one to move into sole first place among SCAC players with 12.
(Game 2 Information)
Team Scores: Dallas (5) Centenary (12)
Team Records: Dallas (5-12) Centenary (22-2)
Pitcher Records: W) Connor Lee (5-1), L) Graeme Williams (1-2)
In game two, Centenary started the game with another three run inning, this time in the first. Centenary started off the inning with three straight hits. Hewitt doubled, Cody Crowder bunt singled and Ludwick singled to left for an RBI. After a groundout advanced the runners, Crowder scored on a wild pitch, and Ludwick scored on a sacrifice fly.
In the second, Centenary put four more on the board. Ben Bridges started the inning with a double followed by a fly out to center by Collins. Robinson, Hewitt and Crowder all hit singles with RBIs by Robinson and Crowder. After Crowder stole second, Ludwick hit a sacrifice fly to right, Tyler Erickson singled and extended the lead to 7-0.
In the third inning, Centenary scored another run on a one out, RBI groundout by Robinson.
Dallas finally got on the board in the sixth inning, as Grady Birmingham (Newport Beach, Calif.) blasted a three run home run to left centerfield to cut the deficit to 7-3. The home run was Birmingham's first career home run as a Crusader and just the third home by UD in 2021.
Centenary went back up by six in the seventh as Welch scored Erickson on a sacrifice fly to center.
In the eighth inning, Vondrachek led off the inning with a solo home run to left for his first home run of the season and the third of his UD career.
In the bottom of the inning, Dallas recorded two quick outs before Centenary started their third multi-run rally of the game. Hewitt singled to left center and then promptly stole second. Crowder was hit by a pitch, and then Ludwick hit an RBI single, advanced to second on the throw home and advancing Crowder to third. Erickson then singled to right center for two RBIs to make the score 12-4.
In the ninth inning, Jaquez started the inning with a double, stole third and then two batters later scored on an RBI groundout by Jon Talley (Pineville, La.).
The pair of home runs by Birmingham and Vondrachek marks the first time this season that UD has had a multi-home run game.
Hewitt and Crowder both stole two bases in game two putting them into a three-way tie for the second most stolen bases in the SCAC with St. Thomas' Kyle Bearden.
With the losses Dallas falls to 5-12 (3-5), and with the wins Centenary improves to 22-2 (8-0) and extend their winning streak to 16-games.
Dallas will finish the series against Centenary on Saturday with the first pitch for game three 1:00 p.m. CST.