Extra Innings lift Schreiner to Sunday Sweep over Softball
IRVING, Texas – In both games on Sunday, the University of Dallas softball team allowed Schreiner University to score in five straight innings. After an 8-4 setback in the first contest, Schreiner came back with five unanswered over three innings of regulation to force extras. After trading runs in the eighth, the Crusaders would be swept on the day in a 7-6, nine-inning result. For the series, Dallas went 1-3 over the four-game set.
GAME 1 INFORMATION
Team Scores: Schreiner University (8), University of Dallas (4)
Team Records: Schreiner (14-13, 5-6 SCAC), Dallas (9-14, 4-3 SCAC)
Pitcher of Record: W) Vrana (7-5), L) Galvan (5-5)
NOTABLE STATISTICS
- Jade Miller (Plano, Texas) and Mackenzie Tano (Wylie, Texas) both went 2-for-3. Miller doubled and drove in one, while Tano scored and had one-of-two steals by the team.
- Allison Kotlar (Edna, Texas) swiped the other Dallas theft and had a hit.
- Avery Finch (Jamul, Calif.) added a hit to give the top three hitters a knock.
- Lety Morales (Fontana, Calif.) picked up the other team hit. Her and Finch each etched an RBI.
- Katie Lee (Houston, Texas) threw 2.2 scoreless innings and only had one runner reach. She struck out two.
- Schreiner was led by a quartet of players with two hits at the plate. This included: Alyssa Maki, Sarah Worrell, Bailee Arellano, and Samantha Hernandez.
- Worrell (double), Maki (triple), and Arellano (homer) counted towards the trio of extra base hits for the team. SU made eight stolen bases, with half of them coming from Maki.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Mountaineers scored in each of the first five innings building enough of a lead to capture at least a series split. Things started in the first with Maki having singled through the left side with one out. She stole second and went to third on a hit to left by Worrell. With one out, the two runners successfully notched a double steal for the first run of the day.
Schreiner added a three-run second to push in front 4-0. With two outs and runners on every base, a wild pitch moved everyone up for the first run of the frame. Maki cleared the basepaths on a triple to center.
In the third inning, a sacrifice fly out to right scored Lindsey Martinez.
Down five runs, the Crusaders struck back with four unanswered to nip the margin to four. This started immediately in the next half inning with one. Miller clobbered a double to right field and Kotlar scored from second after having reached on a two-out infield single. The steal during Miller's at bat to get into scoring position.
In the fourth, Dallas produced a three-run inning of its own after the Mountaineers had responded with a run in their half to reduce the margin at 6-4. Tano singled to center with one out and two batters later a two-out rally was mounted after a Stephanie Cervantes (Temecula, Calif.) walk. Morales singled for an RBI and moved up an extra 60 feet along with Cervantes. A wild pitch got Cervantes in safely and then Finch singled through the left side for the final UD ribbie of the game.
The second hitter of the fifth, Arellano, clubbed a two-run shot over left field to extend the lead back out to 8-4. Dallas did summon Lee to replace starter Lauren Galvan (Bryan, Texas) an out later, and then Schreiner was left off the board as eight-of-nine batters were retired.
GAME 2 INFORMATION
Team Scores: Schreiner University (7), University of Dallas (6) (F/9)
Team Records: Schreiner (15-13, 6-6 SCAC), Dallas (9-13, 4-4 SCAC)
Pitcher of Record: W) Ortiz (6-6) L) Galvan (5-6)
NOTABLE STATISTICS
- Melanie Savala (Bryan, Texas) went 3-for-4 (3rd time in career) with an RBI and two runs scored. Her total hits mark a season-high.
- Savala captured five stolen bases, as the team easily managed a season-high seven. That mark for the third baseman shattered a single game record.
- Savala was one-of-five previous record holders with four. She did it last on April 4, 2016 at Austin College. The other years done were two in 2008 and two in 2002. Sharlie Staab (March, 14 and April 13) had both the same year in '08. Amanda Bludworth (April 9) and Marcey Hoelting (April 14) both had theirs against Wiley College.
- Miller's second two-hit game on the day extended her hitting streak to nine. She has now reached safely in 17 straight.
- Allie Driskill (Houston, Texas), Savala, and Morales had doubles and Miller tripled for the teams extra base hits.
- Maki and Cordon each put together three-for-five games for Schreiner. The tough hitting tandem also both drove in two runs apiece.
- A trio of players: Arellano, Gabriella Acuna, and Nichole Schoenherr each had multi-hit games.
- The team's combined for 27 hits with Schreiner smacking 15. Both teams had four extra base hits.
- Hannah Ortiz got the win with nine innings thrown. She allowed six runs (5 earned) while walking two and striking out five.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Crusaders got on the board early this time with runs over the first two frames. In their first trip to hit, Miller tripled to right center to start something with two outs. Savala singled through the left side to get the outfielder in. Savala then got to third by stealing the next two bases with Driskill hitting. A walk put runners on the corners to setup a chance at a double steal. Schreiner was unable to contain the attempt at throwing Driskill out at second so she advanced safely and Savala crossed to make it 2-0. A third run scored in that inning with Tano singling up the middle as hitters three through six all reached.
Another interesting base running play accounted for UD's fourth run of the ballgame. This occurred in the second as Kotlar got caught in a lengthy rundown that gave Finch the chance to cross before her senior teammate was tagged to end the inning.
Schreiner started chipping back down four with a solo homer by Acuna led off the fifth. That was the only damage and the Crusaders countered back in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly out to center by Miller. Finch scored.
Another round-tripper by Cordon kicked off the top of the sixth, but a three-run seventh by the Maroon and White knotted the contest back up at five. Four hits assisted the Mountaineers in that seventh inning comeback, highlighted by Maki's pair of ribbies to make it a one-run deficit. With two outs and runner on second, Cordon dropped a single to left center to make it five all.
In the home half, a leadoff double by Morales got the crowd energized. She advanced to third on a passed ball, but Schreiner's right fielder, Govett, got a huge assist on a sacrifice fly out attempt just over into foul territory. That great play led to no runs and forced UD into its second extra inning contest this season. Dallas had won that matchup over Florida spring break in a 9-7 final against University of Scranton.
Schreiner got in front for the first time in game two in the top of the eighth. Consecutive one-out doubles by Savala and Driskill re-tied the game in the bottom part of the inning. The Crusaders had Driskill and Tano in scoring position with one out but were unable to secure their second walk-off of the year. Finally a run in the ninth for the Mountaineers gave them the advantage for good and secured a series win.
The last time Dallas played at least nine innings was in 2015 on the road at Southwestern University in a 9-8 victory (March 28). The Last time a game this length was played at Crusader Field dates back to 2009 versus Hardin-Simmons University On February 21.
UP NEXT
Dallas is on the road April 1-2 at Southwestern University. The four-game series features two days of doubleheaders. First pitch Saturday is slated at 1 p.m., while Sunday's start time is at 12 p.m.