Patton sets Career Doubles Record; Crusaders Unable to Contain No. 17 Centenary in Series Sweep
SHREVEPORT, La. - The University of Dallas Crusaders was swept by Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) opponent #17 ranked Centenary College of Louisiana to wrap up their three game series. After taking a 1-0 lead and holding Centenary hitless and scoreless for the first three innings, the Gents finally broke through to tie the game in the fourth and rallied for four in the fifth, which would be the game's final winning margin. Dallas brought the tying run to the plate twice in the ninth inning, but failed to bring the deficit any closer than 8-4.
(Game Information)
Team Scores: Dallas (4) Centenary (8)
Team Records: Dallas (5-13) Centenary (23-2)
Pitcher Records: W) Jacob Colby (1-0), L) Ethan Mann (1-2), Sv) Parker Primeaux (7)
Dallas started off the scoring in the third inning. After a couple of lead off outs, Crusader shortstop Michael Jaquez (Irving, Texas) drew a walk, which was followed by an RBI double by second baseman Nathan Patton (McKinney, Texas) for UD's first lead in the series. That double counted as the 41st for Patton's career, as the senior broke the previous mark held by Jesse Nelson, who was inducted into the Dallas Hall of Fame in 2007.
Centenary tied the game in the bottom of the fourth as shortstop Brady Robinson hit a two out RBI single up the middle to score third baseman Chris Haggard.
The Gents put up their first multi-run inning of the game in the fifth as they compiled four straight hits to start the inning. Right fielder Cody Crowder led off with a double to left, Preston Ludwick singled to second base. After second UD relief pitcher Tyler Montemayor (Boerne, Texas) came in for Ethan Mann (Southlake, Texas), second baseman Tyler Erickson and left fielder Tyler Welch hit back-to-back RBI singles to extend the lead to 3-1. Erickson then scored on a wild pitcher, and after Haggard walked, catcher Ben Bridges singled, but Haggard was called out at second on interference. Designated hitter Cole Collins then drove in Welch on a groundout for the final run of the inning.
In the sixth inning, the Gents got two more runs as Crowder hit an RBI sacrifice fly to center and Bridges drove in a run on a bases loaded hit by pitch.
In the seventh inning, Dallas got two runs back to make it 7-3 as Joe Vondrachek (North St. Paul, Minn.) and Jaquez hit back-to-back sacrifice flies.
Centenary put one more on the board in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Bridges after a pair of lead off hits.
In the ninth inning, Michael Anderson (Denver, Colo.) led off the inning with a strikeout, Vondrachek reached on an error and Jaquez singled up the middle. Then after Patton was hit by a pitch, Zach Taylor (Humble, Texas) singled to center to make the score 8-4. Dallas had the tying run at home with Grady Birmingham (Newport Beach, Calif.) and Jon Talley (Pineville, La.) coming to the plate , but were unable to score any more runs. Birmingham struck out and Talley grounded out to second to end the game.
Vondrachek stole another base in Saturday's game, putting his season total and SCAC lead at 13 stolen bases. Vondrachek for the series went 3-8 with a home run, two RBIs, three runs, four walks and three stolen bases.
Gary Hewitt also had a stolen base Saturday for Centenary and moved into second by himself in the SCAC with 12.
Saturday's game was the first time all season that any team held Centenary hitless for the first three innings. UD starting pitcher Ryan Flores (San Diego, Calif.) recorded the first 11 outs before Robinson's RBI single with two outs in the fourth. Flores' final line was 3 ⅔ innings pitched, one hit, one run, which was earned, five walks and three strikeouts
With the loss Dallas falls to 5-13 (3-6), and with the win Centenary improves to 23-2 (9-0) and now has a winning streak of 17 straight games.
Dallas will back home this weekend April 10 and 11 against Texas Lutheran University. Game times will be at 12:00 p.m. and around 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday CST.