Softball sweeps the 'Roos on Senior Day; Finch surpasses Century Mark for Career Steals
IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas softball team swept a doubleheader Sunday and earned a series victory over Austin College. The Crusaders started conference play at Trinity with a 3-1 series win, and cap the regular season over a league opponent with the other 3-1 series result of the spring. Overall on the eight-game home stretch, Dallas went 5-3 and won five-of-six contests. In all five victories, the Crusaders pounded double-digit hit totals, including a season-high (15) in the first game. In game two, UD erased a five-run hole early and would score nine runs. Three of games in this series had the victor posting nine runs.
In between the contests, Dallas recognized five players graduating in May. Forming the quintet were: Alexandria Compte (Houston, Texas), Avery Finch (Jamul, Calif.), Allison Kotlar (Edna, Texas), Katie Lee (Houston, Texas), and Christina Torre (Novato, Calif.).
GAME 1 INFORMATION
Team Scores: Austin College (8), University of Dallas (12)
Team Records: Austin (8-31, 3-20 SCAC), Dallas (13-26, 8-15 SCAC)
Pitcher Records: W) Galvan (8-11), L) Wright (1-13)
NOTABLE STATISTICS
- Dallas scored a season-high 12 runs. The Crusaders have broken double figures in run column for times – all in April. Three of these games occurred during the homestand with a pair of 11-run wins over Centenary College.
- The team clubbed 15 hits, which bested the previous marks of 13 on two occasions against University of Scranton (Mar. 16) and Southwestern University (Apr. 1).
- Melanie Savala (Bryan, Texas) went 2-for-4 and led the run production with a personal-best four. The cleanup hitter posted three ribbies at Trinity University this season and once in 2016. Savala also tripled, scored a run, and stole a base.
- Jade Miller (Plano, Texas) was perfect at the plate (3-3) with her fifth game of the year to have a trio of base knocks. She also crossed home just as many times for a career-high and stole two bases.
- Finch (2-4) and Compte (2-3) rounded out the other multiple hit performers for Dallas. Finch snagged 100 career bases and had a game-high three. Finch added a hit in the second game to give her a seven-game hitting streak with a knock coming in every game of the homestand minus the opener.
- Compte drove in a pair and was the only Crusader besides Savala with more than one.
- The Crusaders continued swiping bases with six on the game. It matched the most recent game on Saturday to tie for third by the squad on the spring.
- Lee started for her 120th appearance in her career and went 2.1 innings. Lauren Galvan (Bryan, Texas) earned the win with 3.2 innings of relief. She allowed two runs (1 earned) and yielded six hits.
- Austin College pounded 17 hits, with doubles by Lauren Mara and Courtney Gonzales. Cassidy McDaris smacked a home run as part of a 5-for-5 game.
- The top four hitters in the lineup were 13-for-19 and drove in six. Emily Low and McDaris were the number two and four hitters and tied a team-high two RBI. Gonzalez was the other player with multiple RBI and matched the duo above.
HOW IT HAPPENED
There was plenty of offense throughout this game. The 'Roos jumped in front with an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. Three-of-four stolen bases by Austin College occurred within the first five batters at the plate and one out in the game. McDaris ripped a single to left field and scored Beth Massey.
The Crusaders answered with a huge six-spot in their first trip to the plate and batted around the lineup. Finch singled on a bunt and stole second base immediately to give 100 total for the all-time leader in the program. A walk to Mackenzie Tano (Wylie, Texas) and bunt single for Miller loaded the bases. Savala cleared them with a triple to right center. After one out was made, Torre reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second as Savala drew a throw home but retreated back to third safely. Compte clobbered an RBI single to right. Torre and Compte completed the scoring by coming in on wild pitches.
Both teams got a pair of runs in the second inning. AC benefited from its second three-hit inning of the game, which included back-to-back singles by Low and Ashley Mayorga to plate runs.
Dallas found a way to get another pair of runs and increase the advantage back to five (8-3). Finch started by reaching on an error. After advancing to second and stealing third, the center fielder scored on an opposite field single from the left-handed batter, Miller. The right fielder eventually rounded the diamond and scored the other run on a passed ball.
The visitors got back in the game in the third with three runs. McDaris led off the team's highest scoring inning with a long ball over the right center wall just left of the scoreboard. Back-back singles and a walk led to a pitching change. A force out at home got the second out but a single by Massey and walk accounted for nipping the margin to two (8-6).
There was another three-run inning in this game, and the Crusaders claimed it in the fourth to match a season-high 11 runs at the time. UD punched five base hits, which were highlighted by doubles from Tano and Driskill. Driskill's two-bagger drove in a run after Savala had the first RBI prior to her. Compte etched a two-out RBI two batters later with a ball that hugged the third base line and would hit off the bag.
Gonzalez pulled the 'Roos within an 11-8 deficit in the sixth on a two-RBI double. Dallas responded with an insurance run in the bottom of the inning. Tera Espinosa (Caldwell, Texas) doubled and Britin Strobel (Parker, Colo.) singled her in.
GAME 2 INFORMATION
Team Scores: Austin College (7), University of Dallas (9)
Team Records: Austin (8-32, 3-21 SCAC), Dallas (15-26, 9-15 SCAC)
Pitcher Records: W) Galvan (9-11), L) Herrera (4-16 S) Martin (1)
NOTABLE STATISTICS
- The Crusaders posted 13 hits for 28 combined on the afternoon.
- Seven of those hits were for extra bases, including four doubles which was another season-best.
- Allie Driskill (Houston, Texas) boasted a 4-for-4 day with two doubles and a triple. The freshman's career day at the dish included two runs scored and an RBI to give her one in all games this weekend slate.
- Tano (2-3) and Miller (2-4) had the other multiple hit games. Tano doubled, scored, and stole a base while Miller crossed home and stole two times for each category.
- Lety Morales (Fontana, Calif.) tied a game-high and personal-best three RBI. Morales tripled to post her fourth multi-RBI game out of seven contest to drive in a run in the rookie's campaign.
- Stephanie Cervantes (Temecula, Calif.) belted her team-leading third home run and Savala added two RBI for the team's other player with more than one.
- UD posted nine runs-batted-in in each triumph today. Overall the team had five stolen bases to reflect 25 this series.
- Galvan earned her third win of the series with six innings thrown. Emily Martin (San Jose, Calif.) locked down her first collegiate save and the team's second of the season, with both occurring on the homestand.
- McDaris had another team-high in hits with four. She doubled for the team's lone extra base hit. Mara went 3-for-3, while Mayorga, Kat Wright, and Gonzales added two-hit performances.
- Taylor Van Kirk and Mayorga drove in three runs apiece.
- Jordan Proctor tossed 2.2 innings of relief. She allowed a run on four hits.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both team's used five-run innings to bolster another high-scoring game. In this series, the team's combined for 61 runs with the home side etching 36 of them. It was the 'Roos that appeared ready to go in front big for the second day in a row of a latter contest. The guests started with a five-run second to lead by as much for the second time in such games. A quartet of hits along with an error helped set up an inning headlined by Mayorga's bases-clearing triple for three RBI.
Kotlar got Dallas on the board in the bottom of the second with an RBI single to left field. Driskill scored and had started things with a single to right field for her first hit of a perfect result at the dish.
In the game's other five-run inning, the bottom third; Driskill started the scoring with an RBI that plated Miller. She had skied a pitch in the infield that fell in near the pitcher for a double. Baylee Leifester (Belton, Texas) was hit by pitch to load the bags. Ashley Nicholson (Reno, Nev.) walked to force in Savala right before Morales cleared everyone with her lone hit for three bases to left center. The Crusaders had come back to lead 6-5 and never trailed the rest of the day.
Savala doubled in the fourth to plate Tano and Miller who kicked of the frame with a double and single, respectively. Miller stole to get a second runner into scoring position. Cervantes went yard in the next inning to cap UD's scoring. The round-tripper tied the sophomore's total from 2016 with three overall.
The 'Roos did get two runs back in the sixth from Van Kirk driving in two. It was the fourth single in a row. In their final turn to hit, Austin College made two fast outs before back-to-back singles brought the go-ahead run to bat. Martin induced a popup to Driskill, as the team's best hitter sealed the game with her glove to end the regular season with a pair of wins.
UP NEXT
Dallas heads to Seguin, Texas, where Texas Lutheran University will host the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC). For the third straight year, the Crusaders will face Schriener University to open. Dallas is the fifth seed and plays the fourth-seeded Mountaineers on Friday at 12 p.m. Click here for information on the tournament.
