Baseball clinches Series Win with Double-Header Sweep

IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas baseball team won their conference double header with Austin College on Saturday.  They clinched the series win, and are now 2-0 to open conference play.

Game 1 - Dallas 15, Austin 5 (8 Innings)

WP: Adrian Montenegro (4-2)

LP: Max Danielsen (1-2)

Things started off a bit bumpy for Adrian Montenegro.  He was one strike away from getting out of a bases loaded jam, but walked Brandon Hill on a full count to bring in the first run of the game.  The next batter doubled to clear the bases, and suddenly the Roos were up 4-0.  It took the Crusaders an inning to respond, but they responded in a big way.

Three straight hits in the second halved the deficit at 4-2, then Jon Talley put the Crusaders on top with a three-run home run.  Montenegro was lights out the rest of his outing, shutting out the Roos for five innings and allowing just three hits.  

The offense steadily added runs along the way, with Griffin Kopp putting his mark on the game with a two-run homer in the third.  The Roos picked up a consolation run in the eighth with a solo homer, but Dallas got the runs back and then some in the bottom of the eighth.  They went on to score four runs on five hits, Jon Talley walking off the game with a two-RBI single to give the Crusaders the win via mercy.

Talley and Kopp combined for 11 of the Crusaders 14 RBI, Talley going 2-5 with six RBI, and Kopp going 3-4 with five RBI.

Game 2 - Dallas 8, Austin 2

WP: Cortez Saenz (1-0)

LP: Ryan Culp (1-7)

SV: Graeme Williams (2)

The Roos once again jumped out to an early lead, scoring two runs in the first on an RBI double and a wild pick-off attempt.  Grady Birmingham brought in Mike Andersen on a sac fly in the first, and Tyler Darnell tied it up with his first career home run as a Crusader in the second.  

Birmingham and Andersen combined once again to bring home the go-ahead run on a sac fly, and that would be the last lead change of the game.  Offense was much harder to come by for both teams, but the Crusaders added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh to give themselves some cushion.  The Roos would get a late consolation run, but Dallas would see out the win to clinch the series.

Mike Andersen went 2-3 with and RBI and two stolen bases, and Grady Birmingham would finish 1-2 with three RBI.

Cortez Saenz picked up his first win of the season, going 6.0 innings, allowing just one earned run and striking out six.  Graeme Williams picked up the save, going three innings in relief and allowing one earned run.

The series concludes tomorrow with one game set for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch.