Softball posts 11 Runs Twice; Sweep Centenary to Split Series
IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas softball team earned two huge victories on Good Friday to split the overall series with Centenary College. The Crusaders notched a season-high 11 runs in both contests with a combined 23 hits. They swept their second conference doubleheader the season. The first was SCAC opening-weekend at Trinity University.
GAME 1 INFORMATION
Team Scores: Centenary College (3), University of Dallas (11) (Final 6 innings)
Team Records: Centenary (13-20, 10-9 SCAC), Dallas (10-25, 5-14 SCAC)
Pitcher Records: W) Galvan (6-11), L) Beadle (3-6)
NOTABLE STATISTICS
- Dallas tied a season-high at home with 12 hits.
- Seven different Crusaders joined the hit parade, with four of the top five hitters combining for nine of them. This included the top trio of hitters going a combined 6-for-11.
- Allie Driskill (Houston, Texas) produced a perfect showing at the plate (3-3) with two RBI and a run scored.
- Avery Finch (Jamul, Calif.), Makenzie Tano (Wylie, Texas), and Jade Miller (Plano, Texas) were that top trio in the lineup that posted the remaining UD multi-hit games.
- Tano led all players with a personal-best three RBI. Stephanie Cervantes (Temecula, Calif.) and she blasted a home run apiece for the team's extra base hits. The duo each powered their second long balls of the campaign.
- Finch scored a game-high three runs and stole three bases. This marked the sixth time for the program-record holder in steals to swipe three in a contest. It was the first time this spring.
- Lauren Galvan (Bryan, Texas) picked up her sixth win by throwing all six innings in the start. She allowed three runs on six hits and walked a pair. Galvan also had a strikeout.
- Centenary compiled six hits, with half of them for multiple bases. Payton LeBlanc and Krystyn Peacock had doubles and Lizzie Moran legged out a triple. LeBlanc and Moran each had a steal and Peacock drove in two runs.
- A trio of pitchers threw in the circle for the guests. Lauren Beadle was saddled in one inning of the start. Mackenzie Stewart pitched 2.2 innings and Cassie Gonzales finished the remaining 1.1.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Crusaders offense had been limited to a run in the first 13 innings of this series, before roaring back with four in the last frame of Thursday night's second setback. However, that momentum carried over into the next day immediately as the Navy and White jumped in front 3-0 in the first and never trailed.
Finch bunted for a single to start the home half of the game. She stole second and Tano walked. The bases ended up loaded with one out after Melanie Savala reached on a fielder's choice. This setup a two-run single as Finch and Tano scored on an RBI single to shortstop. Tano was able to hustle around and beat the tag for the second run. The inning concluded with Leifester getting caught in a rundown, but Savala sped on home before the final out was recorded.
Cervantes led off the next home half of the inning with a homer to left field to increase the UD lead to four. It was her second on the year and fifth of the sophomore's career. Dallas would score in four-out-of-six innings in this game.
After having one of those scoreless frames in the third, the Crusaders produced a team-high five runs in the fourth inning to break the game open. A three-run shot by Tano highlighted the frame.
The Ladies avoided the shutout and initial run-rule attempt with three runs in the next half inning. However, UD earned its first run-rule victory of the year with a pair of runs in the sixth. Finch and Allison Kotlar (Edna, Texas) performed a double-steal at second and third, and Kotlar took the extra 60 feet on an errant throw by the Centenary catcher. Miller ended the game with a single to right as Finch scored the run that gave Dallas an eight-run difference.
GAME 2 INFORMATION
Team Scores: Centenary College (6), University of Dallas (11)
Team Records: Centenary (13-21, 10-10 SCAC), Dallas (11-24, 6-14 SCAC)
Pitcher Records: W) Lee (5-11), L) Aldridge (9-11), S) Galvan (1)
NOTABLE STATISTICS
- Miller and Driskill both notched three-RBI games and had two-hit showings. Miller and Kotlar recorded the team's extra base hits with doubles.
- Kotlar was a perfect 3-for-3 as she tied a game-high in hits.
- A quartet of Crusaders scored twice including: Finch, Tano, Miller, and Kotlar.
- Miller two stolen bases with Tano and Tera Espinosa (Caldwell, Texas) adding the others. Espinosa came off the bench and had a 1-for-1 while scoring a run.
- Katie Lee (Houston, Texas) picked up career win number 45, which is the all-time school record. She threw 5.1 innings and allowed four runs (two earned) on eight hits. She walked one and struck out three.
- The Ladies outhit UD 12-10. Similar to the two games on Thursday, the guests had all singles when they reached double-digits in the hits category.
- Wendy Gillet and Ashley Albright both led Centenary with 3-for-4's and a pair of ribbies.
- The team also notched four stolen bases.
- Nichole Aldridge went six innings and allowed 11 runs (5 earned) on 10 hits. She was the victim of five Centenary errors.
HOW IT HAPPENED
This time neither team got on the board until the third inning. Dallas once again grabbed the edge and never trailed as it started with a three-spot. Lety Morales (Fontana, Calif.) started the inning with a walk. Kotlar doubled to right center to put both in scoring positions. Finch, Tano, and Miller all came up with runs-batted-in, as Finch's was the only one to record a base hit in that bunch.
Centenary responded with two in the top of the fourth inning to cut the margin to one. Gillet singled to left field to bring in Moran. Albright followed with a single back to center and Gillet came in from second, which she advanced to on the throw the previous batter. The Ladies tied the game in their next inning to hit with a run.
Dallas answered in the bottom of the fifth with another three runs. UD did with just as many hits. Miller had the huge hit with a double to left center that drove in Finch and advanced Tano to third, Driskill brought those two in on an infield single.
The Crusaders widened the gap in the bottom of the sixth with five runs. After a run in the top part for the Maroon and White narrowed the margin 6-4, Dallas hustled for a quintet of runs with the help of three errors by the Ladies. This accounted for half the miscues in the contest and the final three runs went down as unearned.
Galvan had entered into a save situation in the top of the sixth, and finished the final 1.2 innings to earn her first career save. That ties a single season record for the program.
UP NEXT
Dallas wraps up the regular season next weekend on April 22-23 at home versus Austin College.